Bill > HB184

This bill proposes a comprehensive reform of Delaware's legislative redistricting process by establishing a novel, bipartisan protocol designed to reduce partisan gerrymandering. The legislation creates a detailed, multi-step process where the majority and minority caucuses of both the House and Senate will collaboratively draw legislative district maps. Each caucus will take turns creating and modifying district boundaries, with specific rules limiting the number of districts each side can "freeze" or redraw. The process includes several key safeguards, such as requiring public hearings, creating a transparent web page to share mapping information, and ensuring that each caucus has equal resources and access to redistricting tools. If the General Assembly cannot agree on a final map by September 1, a judicial panel composed of the Chancellor and three Superior Court judges will create the districts. The bill mandates that all redistricting efforts must comply with federal voting rights laws and ensure fair representation. The new redistricting protocol will first be implemented for the 2032 election cycle, aiming to create a more equitable and less partisan approach to drawing legislative districts. The approach is inspired by a Carnegie Mellon University paper that suggests using partisan self-interest to create a fair redistricting process, analogous to the method children might use to fairly divide a cake.

Government Affairs

https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142392