Redistricting is the process used to evaluate the map
boundaries of U.S. Congressional and state legislative districts and, as
necessary, redraw them to ensure each district includes a substantially equal
number of people. Each Congressional, State
Senate, or State House district can be said to have an “ideal” number of
residents. The “ideal” population is
simply the number that results from dividing the State’s total population by
the number of districts for the given legislative body. For example, Connecticut’s “ideal”
Congressional district size is 721,189, which is the CT population as counted
by the 2020 US Census divided by its 5 Congressional districts.
In Connecticut, the State Legislature is primarily
responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district
lines. Maps must be approved by a two-thirds vote in each chamber. If the State
Legislature is unable to approve new maps, a backup commission is convened to
draw congressional and state legislative district boundaries. The commission
consists of nine members. The four legislative leaders appoint two members
each. The ninth member is selected by the eight previously selected
commissioners.
The Connecticut Reapportionment Commission voted 8-0 in
favor of new maps for the state's 151 House districts and 36 Senate districts
on November 18 and November 23, 2021, respectively. On February 10, 2022, Connecticut enacted new
congressional district boundaries when the Connecticut Supreme Court adopted
the redistricting plan submitted by a court-appointed special master.<o:p></o:p>