Summary of Our Step-By-Step Method for Non-Partisan Redistricting

A 5-step method readily creates electoral district maps meeting transparency and fairness criteria. The method applies a judicially enforceable standard that reduces the risk of legal disputes.

Step 1.  Divide the state into roughly equal population districts using the largest political​ subdivision in the first instance.

A.) For political units with a population larger than one district, first create as many (compact) whole districts as possible within the political unit, and then add the remaining unused territory as a single piece to a neighboring district.

B.) Assemble entire lower-population political units into compact districts.

At this step,  assign each of the 67 Pennsylvania counties to one of 17 congressional districts. Each district must include a resident population of 764,865 persons (less one each in 5 of the districts). Populations will only approximate the target.

Note three special cases:

A  Allegheny County (blue and red segments) with a 2020 population of 1,250,578 persons, can host one complete district and part of a second.

B   Montgomery County (red and purple segments) with a 2020 population of 856,553 persons, can host one complete district and part of a second.

C   Philadelphia County (purple and yellow segments) with a 2020 population of 1,603,797 persons, can host two complete districts and part of a third.