Why map your community?

Map with community selected

Mapping your community and identifying its shared interests allows public officials to take your community’s concerns into account during redistricing.

What is
redistricting?

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Every ten years, the United States draws new voting districts. District lines decide who votes for which representatives in local, state, and federal elections.

What is gerrymandering?

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Politicians have been splitting up or packing together communities into voting districts that silence their voices. Mapping your community of interest helps fight gerrymandering.

What is a Community of Interest?

A Community of Interest is a geographic area that shares cultural, historical, or economic interests.

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Your neighborhood
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People you want to choose representatives with
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A local group connected by an interest
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Redistricting in your state:

See community maps drawn in Iowa

In Iowa, civil servants in the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA), guided by a five-member bipartisan redistricting advisory commission, draft up to three maps, which the Legislature can accept or reject (or modify, after a certain number of rejections).

In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Iowa’s state constitution and state statutes require that state legislative and congressional districts: 

  • be compact
  • be contiguous
  • preserve political subdivisions
  • do not consider partisan data 
  • do not intentionally favor or disfavor an incumbent, person, or group

In the redistricting process, your state doesn't yet require consideration of communities of interest (COIs), but citizens can still present their own COIs to the redistricting commission to advocate for fair representation. A community of interest is a population that shares cultural, historical, demographic, or economic interests. Communities of interest do not necessarily share the same political viewpoints or support for certain candidates or political parties.

See community maps drawn in Iowa