Reapportionment and Redistricting

Reapportionment and Redistricting

Plan Proposed by Joint Committee (JPEG)

New State Board of Education Districts (PDF)

New Congressional Lines (PDF)

As a member of the Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment I have been actively involved in the process of redrawing our congressional, State Board of Education and legislative district lines.  My primary goal in this process is to make sure the people of Jefferson, Shelby, Chilton and Bibb Counties are treated in a fair and equitable manner. Below is a brief summary of the process. 

Reapportionment: The process of redividing the 435 seats of the United States House of Representatives, based upon each state's proportion of the national population. The preceding decennial census is the baseline or determining how many House seats are allotted to each state. The total number of each state's U. S. House seats, combined with its two U.S. Senate seats, constitutes that state's number of electoral votes in presidential elections.

Redistricting: The process by which the boundaries of state legislative districts and United States House districts are drawn to reflect population shifts.

Overview and Contact Information

Article IX, Sections 197 through 200, Constitution of Alabama, 1901, requires the Alabama Legislature to redistrict the State during the first session after official completion of each decennial census of the United States. Such redistricting is mandated in order that legislative districts may be adjusted to reflect population shifts within Alabama. The number of Senate Districts (35) and House Districts (105) constituting the Alabama Legislature is established by Article IV, Section 50, Constitution of Alabama. The number of Members of the United States House of Representatives is established by Article I, Section 2, Constitution of the United States, as amended by Amendment 14, and by Acts of Congress. Each state is granted two Senators, as stipulated in Article I, Section 3, Constitution of the United States, and are elected as set forth in said Article as amended by Amendment 17.

Following the 2000 Census, and receipt of the final data (by April 1, 2001), the congressional, legislative and state school board redistricting plans were drafted and subsequently taken up by the Legislature. Because Alabama is under the provisions of the Voting Rights Act, all such plans were subject to approval by employees of the United States Justice Department, prior to April 5, 2002.

Legislative Reapportionment Office

In 1990, the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment was created by the Legislature (Act 90-388, as amended by Act 91-347). The establishment and statutory duties of this Committee can be found in Section 29-2-50 through 29-2-53, Code of Alabama. The Committee was established to prepare and develop redistricting plans for the state following each decennial census. In years in which the Legislature is not involved in the redistricting process, the Committee is composed of six (6) members; three (3) members of the Alabama Senate, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and three (3) members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House. In each quadrennium in which the Legislature is actually involved in the redistricting process, the Committee consists of twenty-two (22) members; one (1) member of the House of Representatives from each congressional district, four (4) at-large members of the House of Representatives, all appointed by the Speaker of the House; one (1) member of the Alabama Senate from each congressional district, four (4) at large members of the Senate, all appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. Upon completion of the redistricting process, the Committee reverts to its permanent six-member constituency.

The Legislative Reapportionment Office serves as the link between the United States Census Bureau and the Alabama Legislature. The office is staffed by professionals who are joint employees of the House and Senate. All maps, census data, redistricting data, redistricting software and other information and technology are housed in this office. These resources, along with the specially trained staff, are available to members of the Legislature, committee members and members of the public.

Contact Information:
Legislative Reapportionment Office
Room 811, State House
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7941