Redistricting Commissions In Colorado Want To Hear From You

DENVER (CBS4) - Redistricting will look much different this year in Colorado, including a delay because of a delay in Census reporting due to the pandemic. And the people drawing the maps want to hear from you.

For the first time, the state is using a bipartisan panel of commissioners to redraw Colorado's Congressional districts as well as those for the state's general assembly and senate seats. Previously, state lawmakers redrew districts after receiving Census numbers, often leading to partisan fights that ended up in court. Voters approved the move to using commissions in 2018.

Colorado is expected to gain an additional Congressional seat, giving us eight U.S. representatives.

Two commissions are already in place, one for Congressional redistricting, one for Legislative redistricting. Each is made up of 12 members, 4 from the Colorado Democratic Party, 4 from the Colorado Republican Party and 4 who are not affiliated with any political party.

Each of the commissions must have at least one member in each current congressional district and at least one member from the Western Slope.

In addition to the political diversity, an effort was made to make sure the commissioners reflect Colorado's diversity in race ethnicity, gender and geography. You can find out more about the Congressional commission here and the Legislative commission here.

The Congressional commission is already convened and meets virtually every Monday at 2 p.m. The governor must convene the Legislative commission by March 30.

In addition to virtually attending those meeting, the commissions are actively looking for public information through a survey asking about shared interests, important geographic areas and community public concerns.

Part of the goal of this round of redistricting is to create districts that create "communities of interest" while keeping cities and counties in tact when possible. Those districts are also supposed to be compact while remaining competitive.

If you'd like take that survey, find a link here.
You can also try your hand at drawing all three maps here.

The commissions did have a set timeline to meet goals throughout the process but the delays in the Census reporting have thrown those into chaos. The U.S. Census Bureau now says the detailed information needed for redistricting will not be available until Sept. 30. That's about the same time the commissions had set to have final maps approved and on their way to court for final approval.

The commissions are now working on a timeline to reflect that delay.