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Redistribution (in many Commonwealth countries), called redistricting in the United States, is the process of changing of political borders. This is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral district (constituency) boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results that cause malportionment of representation.[1] This takes place by law or constitution at least every decade in most representative democracy systems using first-past-the-post or similar electoral systems to prevent geographic malapportionment.
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Australia
In Australia, redistributions are carried out by independent and non-partisan commissioners in the Commonwealth and each state or territory. The various electoral acts require the population of each seat to be equal with certain strictly limited variations.
Canada
See: Historical federal electoral districts of Canada
Ireland
Elections to Dáil Éireann and to councils and local authorities are by single transferable vote (STV), using geographic constituencies which return three or more representatives, the number being proportional to population. Boundary revisions may involve changing the number of constituencies, reapportioning the number of representatives returned from them, or adjusting their borders. For example, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 replaced the five-seat Meath constituency with two three-seat constituencies, Meath East and Meath West, both of which also acquired territory previously in other constituencies.[2]
Redistribution is done by the Oireachtas acting on the advice of the Constituency Commission, an independent body established by the 1997 Electoral Act. Redistribution prior to 1977 was done without independent input and subject to the partisan concerns of the government of the day.[3]
South Africa
In South Africa, redistricting is carried out by the Municipal Demarcation Board.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, four Boundary Commissions (one each for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) are responsible for reviewing the boundaries of Parliamentary constituencies, within guidelines set by Parliament.
United States
In the United States, each state has its own standards for creating Congressional and legislative districts.
See also
References
- ^ Boundary Delimitation Glossary ACE:The Electoral Knowledge Network. Accessed July 4, 2009.
- ^ "Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005". Attorney General of Ireland. 2005-07-09. http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0016/print.html. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- ^ Carty, R. K. (October 2006). "Electoral Boundary Determination in Single Transferable Vote Electoral Systems: the case of Ireland and Scotland". British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission. http://www.bc-ebc.ca/files/pdf/Final_STV_map_making_reports_arc.doc. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
External links
- A guide to Boundary Delimitation a series of articles from the ACE Project
- Reapportionment and Redistricting in the U.S. — from the ACE Project
- Boundary Delimitation in the Legal Framework of Elections — from the International IDEA publication International Electoral Standards: Guidelines for reviewing the legal framework of elections
- Redistribution Overview from the Australian Electoral Commission
- U.S. House of Representatives — District apportionment 1790 to 2000
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