What is Redistricting?

Pennsylvania, General Assembly

The state's procedure is set in Article II, Section 17 of the Constitution. It says the state has 60 days to name a "Legislative Reapportionment Commission," which consists of the four minority and majority leaders of the House and Senate (or their designated representatives). They have an additional 45 days to agree on a fifth member, who will act as chairperson. If they cannot agree, the State Supreme Court names a chairperson. In either case, the chairperson may not be a current local, state, or federal official.
 
The commission has 90 days to come up with a map of the 203 House seats and 50 State Senate seats, which must be passed by at least three of the five members, and  is then filed with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. Residents have 30 days to comment on the plan or file an "exception," demanding some change. The Legislative Reapportionment Commission may revise the plan during those 30 days in response to any complaints, but any outstanding disagreements at the end of 30 days are decided by the Supreme Court. If the Commission fails to come up with a plan in the required 30 days, the Supreme Court may either grant an extension (for good cause only) or impose its own plan.

• April 1, 2011 – Deadline for the U.S. Census Bureau to publish the data required for redistricting.
• May 30, 2011 – Sixty days after publication of the census data, the state must name and certify four members of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission. The commission consists of the minority and majority leaders of the House and Senate (or their designated representatives).
• July 13, 2011 – By forty-five days after certification, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission must select a fifth member who shall serve as chairman of the commission.
• October 11, 2011 – By ninety days after certification of the commission (or the publication of the census data, whichever is later) it shall file a preliminary redistricting plan with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
• November 9, 2011 – The commission has thirty days from filing the preliminary plan to submit corrections to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Any challenges to the commission’s plan must be filed by this date. If exceptions are filed, the commission has thirty days after the challenges revise the plan and submit it to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. If no exceptions are filled, “the plan shall be final and have the force of law."
  
  
• April 24, 2012 – Pennsylvania Primary Election in which new district boundaries take effect.
• November 6, 2012 – Pennsylvania General Election to elect representatives to newly redrawn districts.
• December 1, 2012 – First day for State Legislators elected to newly drawn districts.

If the Commission fails to come up with a plan within the prescribed amount of time, the Supreme Court may either grant an extension (for good cause only) or proceed to develop its own plan.

NOTE: Dates are approximate and subject to change.

Compiled by Committee of 70