Bill > S804

This bill proposes to amend the North Carolina Constitution to establish an independent redistricting process, meaning the drawing of electoral district boundaries, for both congressional and state legislative seats. Currently, the General Assembly (the state legislature) is responsible for this process, but this bill would remove their direct role in revising these districts. Instead, it would create the North Carolina Citizens Redistricting Commission, an independent body responsible for preparing and adopting these plans. The bill outlines strict eligibility requirements for commission members, aiming for a diverse group with no direct ties to current political officeholders or parties, and establishes a detailed process for their selection, including public application and review by the State Auditor and State Ethics Commission. The commission would be tasked with creating preliminary, proposed, and final redistricting plans based on specific criteria, prioritizing equal population representation, compliance with voting rights laws, contiguity of districts, and minimizing the division of communities of interest, while explicitly prohibiting consideration of political factors or incumbent protection. The bill also details requirements for public input, transparency through open meetings and public records, and a timeline for the commission's work, including provisions for a special master if the commission fails to adopt a plan. Finally, it makes conforming changes to existing statutes to reflect the shift to an independent redistricting commission and mandates that these constitutional amendments be submitted to voters for approval in the November 2026 general election.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S804