Require that all Congressional districts be drawn by an independent citizen commission
Currently in most states, the state legislature draws the boundaries of congressional districts. Critics say this leads to 'gerrymandering' — drawing lines to give one party an unfair advantage. A proposal would require states to use independent, nonpartisan commissions to draw district boundaries.
Arguments For & Against
Pro Argument
When politicians draw their own districts, they rig the system so voters from the minority party get far less representation than their numbers warrant. An independent commission would draw districts that fairly reflect the voters in each state.
Con Argument
The Constitution gives state legislatures the authority to draw district lines. The federal government should not override state legislatures and impose a single redistricting process on all states.
Source document: Elections_Redistricting_Quaire041218.pdf
| Type | Organization | Date | Nat | Rep | Dem | Gap | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New PPC Survey (2026) | Program for Public Consultation | February 2026 | 81% | 81% | 83% | 2% | favor |
| Deliberative Survey | Program for Public Consultation | October 2017 | 66% | 53% | 80% | 27% | favor |
Program for Public Consultation — February 2026
Currently, when Congressional districts are redrawn in most states, this is done by state legislatures, which may be dominated by one party. There is a proposal to require that Congressional districts be redrawn instead by a commission of citizens in each state, made up of equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents.
Program for Public Consultation — October 2017
The shape of Congressional districts would be set by a commission of citizens within each state which would: be committed to designing districts in a way that is geographically natural and compact without creating a favorable distribution for either party; be one third Republicans, one third Democrats, and one third independents; reflect the balance of the state according to gender, race, ethnicity and the geographic areas of the state. Decisions on the shape of districts would be made by a majority of the commission members that includes at least one member from both parties and an independent.
Related Policies
Impose term limits on Members of Congress
82% national support
Prohibit the trade of stocks in individual companies by Members of Congress, the President, Vice President, and Supreme Court Justices
76% national support
Require Supreme Court Justices to comply with the same ethical standards as all other federal judges
85% national support
Require the use of ranked choice voting in all federal elections
66% national support