What is it? Redistricting in Kansas is the process of creating new districts from which we elect our representatives in Congress, the State Legislature, and local governing bodies (city council, county commission, school board).

Districts define the basic fairness of our governing bodies by making sure each person is represented equally (one person, one vote) and that communities with similar interests have a voice in policymaking.

Districts are redrawn after each US Census that provides updated population figures.

In Kansas, elected officials generally create the district maps. The procedures don’t always require input from the public. 

The League’s position is that the best and fairest districts are based on input from the people who reside in them.

Map Drawing Contest for College Undergraduate Students

Eligibility

• Undergraduate students enrolled in any public or private Kansas higher education institution that includes universities, colleges and community colleges. Students may submit entries in any category as an individual or as a team.

Categories

• Congressional map
• State House map
• State Senate map

Prize

• $1,000 per category
• Free one-year membership to the League of Women Voters of Kansas
• Winners will be invited to present maps at an upcoming League of Women Voters meeting
• Winners will be featured in League Notes/Newsletters/Social Media/Websites

Criteria

• Follows guidelines from the Legislative Redistricting Committees
•  Written justification for deviation against guidelines along with other decisions map drawer made in preparing the map
• Use Dave’s Redistricting to draw maps
• Judging Rubric

Submission Deadline

• Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. CDT
• Send questions to: contactus@lwvk.org. 

Submission Requirements

• Map file type: JSON map archive format from Dave’s Redistricting
• Narrative justification as a PDF with 5 page maximum, 12 pt, double spaced, use either APA or MLA format consistency throughout the documents
• Letter of support from college/university professor submitted directly to contactus@lwvk.org as proof of eligibility (must include contestant(s) name(s), professor’s contact information: email, phone number, college/university department)
• Submission format: justification PDF, map archive file, and letter of support as attachments must be sent to: contactus@lwvk.org with the subject line “District Map Contest Entry”. Body of email must include contestant(s) name(s), school(s), year (Fr., Soph., Jr., Sr.) and contact information (name, phone number, map drawer’s email)

Disclaimer

• Map winners may be asked to release their submission for publication by the League of Women Voters of Kansas. Winning maps my be submitted to the Kansas Legislature/Kansas Legislative Research Department as official League Maps.

Results

• Winners will be notified by email at noon on Friday, November 19, 2021
  Press Conference on Monday, November 22, 2021 announcing the winners

Resources

Maps and Tables Showing Population Change by County and District

Kansas Legislative Briefing Book 2021, Kansas Legislative Research

Proposed guidelines for 2022 redistricting.

Link to current district maps

2021 Redistricting Advisory Group (Legislative Committee)

House Committee on Redistricting

Senate Committee on Redistricting

Historical Resources

2012 Essex v Kobach opinion

2012 Technical Committee Rules

2012 Guidelines and Criteria for Legislative and Congressional Districts

Video Resources

We kicked off the 2022 round of redistricting in Kansas by presenting “Redistricting 101.”  This slide presentation, made to the League of Women Voters Topeka-Shawnee County members and community partners in April 2021, reviews the basics of congressional and legislative redistricting in Kansas. Learn about redistricting, why fair maps are the basis for fair votes, and how you can get involved in the process.

Not sure how gerrymandering works? Two words: packing and cracking. Both are used to gerrymander districts to favor one group over another. We see how gerrymanding works in this clever demonstration, Pennies vs. Dimes. This is an excerpt from the documentary Line in the Street by Robert Millman. Posted here with permission.

What are your communities?  How do you describe them to decision makers?  Then what?

Additional Resources

(Documents will download or open in a new tab.)

Apportionment 101 and Why It’s Important, U.S. Census Bureau

2020 Census Redistricting Data Release, U.S. Census Bureau

Census Law and Terminology Related to Redistricting

Coalition Hub for Advancing Redistricting through Grassroots Engagement (CHARGE Hub)

Princeton Gerrymandering Project

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

NAACP Legal Defense Fund Redistricting Guide

League of Women Voters Kansas People Powered Fair Maps

Resources in Multiple Languages

All About Redistricting, 

     Community Engagement: Understanding the Redistricting Process