SJ 305

Abstract

Provides for the establishment of the Virginia Citizens Redistricting Commission (the Commission), a 10-member commission responsible for establishing legislative and congressional districts following a decennial census. A selection committee consisting of five retired judges of the circuit courts in Virginia, selected by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the minority leader in the House of Delegates, and the majority and minority leaders in the Senate from a list compiled by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, is tasked with adopting a process by which registered Virginia voters may apply to serve on the Commission and selecting from the applicants a list of 22 candidates. The amendment requires five of the candidates to be voters who affiliate with the political party receiving the highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, five candidates to be voters who affiliate with the political party receiving the next highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, and 12 candidates to be voters who do not affiliate with any political party. The Speaker of the House of Delegates, the minority leader in the House of Delegates, and the majority and minority leaders in the Senate then strike names from the list until there is the final list of 10 Commission members, three of whom affiliate with the political party receiving the highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, three of whom affiliate with the political party receiving the next highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, and four of whom do not affiliate with any political party. Final approval or adoption of a redistricting plan requires an affirmative vote of seven of the 10 Commission members, including at least one vote from each of the political parties represented. The amendment also contains criteria for the Commission to adhere to when drawing the legislative and congressional districts and imposes certain requirements on the Commission's activities to ensure accessibility by the public.