From Politicians to the People
Before 2018, the power to draw Colorado's congressional districts belonged to the state legislature. This often led to partisan brawls and, frequently, legal challenges that ended with courts drawing the final maps. Frustrated by this cycle of political infighting, Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved Amendments Y and Z in 2018. These amendments, which received widespread bipartisan support, took the map-drawing pen out of the hands of politicians and gave it to two new Independent Redistricting Commissions—one for congressional districts and another for state legislative districts. The goal was to make the process more transparent, impartial, and citizen-led.
Assembling the Commission: A Job for Citizens
The heart of Colorado's new system is the 12-member independent commission. This
group is designed for political balance, comprising four Democrats, four Republicans, and four unaffiliated voters. But who picks them? The process is deliberately complex to filter out overt partisanship. It starts with an open application process for any qualified voter. From there, a panel of retired judges oversees a multi-stage selection that involves reviewing applications and even random draws to create a diverse pool of candidates. This ensures the final commission isn't hand-picked by party insiders but is instead a group of citizens tasked with a civic duty.
The Rules of the Road
The commission isn't just handed a blank map and told to start drawing. The state constitution provides a strict, prioritized list of criteria they must follow. First and foremost is population equality; districts must have the same number of people, as required by the U.S. Constitution. Next, the maps must comply with the federal Voting Rights Act to prevent discrimination against minority groups. After that, the commission must prioritize preserving 'communities of interest' and keeping counties and towns whole whenever possible. Districts should also be as geographically compact as is reasonable. Only after all those other criteria are met is the commission supposed to maximize the number of politically competitive districts.
From Drafts to a Final Map
The actual drawing begins with non-partisan staff, who create preliminary maps based on census data and the constitutional criteria. These maps serve as a starting point. The commission then holds extensive public hearings across the state, giving residents a chance to comment, critique the drafts, and even submit their own proposed maps. All of this happens in the open, with hearings broadcast online. To approve a final map, a supermajority of eight of the 12 commissioners must vote 'yes', and that majority must include at least two of the four unaffiliated commissioners. This requirement forces consensus and prevents one party from dominating the outcome.
The Supreme Court's Final Review
Once the commission approves a map, its journey isn't quite over. The plan is sent to the Colorado Supreme Court for final review. However, the court's role is not to second-guess the commission's choices or draw its own version. Its job is to verify that the commission followed all the constitutional rules and didn't abuse its discretion. If the court finds that the commission failed to follow the process correctly, it can send the map back for revision. But if the process was followed, the court approves the map, and it becomes the law of the land until the next census.
