Virginia
Activities to Understand Redistricting
- Review population trends with Virginians On the Move, an interactive demonstration of population movement in the state over three time periods.
- Virginia Census Data, 1790 to 2010
- Discuss how to prioritize redistricting criteria using Flashes of Insight cards or an online game.
- Local Redistricting in Virginia: Legal Authority (background)
- Describe and map your community with online tools from Representable.org to understand what issues are important in your neighborhood and region. Use both written and geographic descriptions to explain your community.
- Practice using geospatial technology tools in preparation for drawing sample electoral district lines with accessible, step-by-step instructions.
- What Is a Gerrymander? Esri GeoInquiries for Government
- Virginia ArcGIS Online Redistricting Exercise (2010 census data)
- Draw electoral districts with 2020 Census data using open-source geospatial technology tools.
- Explore Districtr and District Builder.
- Examine the "Notable Maps" detailed in Dave's Redistricting App to investigate different approaches to drawing electoral district lines.
- Analyze redistricting maps, including any maps you created, the existing approved state maps, and various proposed maps in Dave's Redistricting App.
- Evaluate the fairness of electoral district maps using PlanScore, from the Campaign Legal Center.
- Explore the partisan lean data from FiveThirtyEight to consider which party might benefit from a particular map.
- Investigate the Redistricting Report Card, from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.
- Learn about issues in your community that are affected by people who represent you at the local, state, and national levels.
- Who else do you vote with? Who are your elected representatives? How did the lines change from the previous districts? How do your city, county, school board, state, and congressional districts fit together? Did your districts grow or shrink in area? How would you describe your districts (competitive, gerrymandered, representative)?
- Recall the information you identified while describing your community. What else do you need to consider when drawing districts? What watershed do you live in? What school districts serve your area? What issues are decided by state legislatures and local elected bodies that you care about?
- What suggestions do you have for the people who will draw the lines in 2030?
Organizations and Resources
- Virginia Redistricting Commission (official website)
- Ballotpedia (website with overview and data)
- Virginia Census Data (website)
- University of Virginia Demographics Research Group (FSCPE)
- Virginia Tech (presentation)
- Navigating the Neighborly Numbers of Northern Virginia, Virginia Cooperative Extension, demonstration and explanation of census data, March 10, 2021
- Redistricting in Virginia - Virginia Public Access Project (interactive website)
PERSPECTIVES
- Redistricting impacts Virginia elections
- Meaghan Downey and Nicole Norman, The Fulcrum, November 16, 2023
- Virginia Public Radio: Redistricting
- General Assembly approves independent redistricting commission despite objections from black lawmakers, Graham Moomaw, Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 24, 2019
- Federal court orders Virginia to adopt redrawn House of Delegates map, Graham Moomaw, Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 14, 2019