What is a district?
The state of Indiana has 150 legislative districts, each has one representative. The state Senate has 50 districts and the state House has 100 districts.
Elected officials must represent the interests and needs of the people who live inside those districts no matter party affiliation.
Why is Indiana redistricting now?
In Indiana, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. Populations change, some districts gain residents, others lose them. Districts also may change demographically. That’s why district boundaries are redrawn every ten years to ensure each district has about the same number of people and that districts are reflective and representative of the electorate.. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.
Why does this matter?
Redistricting has a direct bearing on what matters a legislature chooses to tackle, and which to ignore.
Redistricting also affects whether the nation’s diverse communities are represented in its legislative bodies. The redistricting process uses data from the 2020 census to redraw and reshape our representation in government and funding that includes funding that goes into our public library system.
According to a study done at George Washington University, Indiana’s legislative maps are 95% more biased so we need to be aware of that.
How can I learn more?
Visit Ballotopedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Indiana_House_of_Representatives#District_map
