Utah 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson told Utah to redraw its congressional district map before the 2026 midterms.
The new map must “align with what voters approved in 2018.”
Utah has 30 days to submit four new maps that match Proposition 4.
Gibson will hold a conference with parties on Friday to discuss the next steps. A hearing on the proposed maps is scheduled for October.
Republicans could appeal Gibson’s decision, which would likely keep the current map until 2028.
Proposition 4 formed the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission. The members prepare and present congressional district plans to the state legislature.
However, as Gibson pointed out, the measure does not give the commission the final word.
The state legislature can “reject or adopt any recommended redistricting plan or create its own, subject to Proposition 4’s redistricting standards and procedures.”
Those standards and procedures:
(a) adhering to federal law and achieving equal population between districts;(b) minimizing divisions of municipalities and counties across multiple districts;(c) making districts geographically compact;(d) making districts that are contiguous and allow for ease of transport throughout the district;(e) preserving traditional neighborhoods and local communities of interest;(f) following natural and geographic boundaries, barriers, and features; and(g) maximizing the agreement of boundaries between different types of districts.
The maps cannot divide “districts to favor an incumbent elected official, a candidate, or a political party.”
Those in charge have to use “judicial standards and the best available data and scientific methods.”
If the legislature rejects the commission’s maps, the lawmakers must issue a report with an explanation.
[Featured image via YouTube]
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