User:Visviva/Redistricting in Illinois

Redistricting in Illinois is the process by which electoral districts are redrawn in the state of Illinois. Redistricting typically occurs once every ten years, following a United States census, although this has not always been the case in Illinois. The redistricting process has historically been dominated by struggles along regional, racial and party lines, as well as incumbent preservation. All Illinois Constitutions have given the Illinois General Assembly the right to redistrict, but several times since 1970 redistricting has been done by a redistricting commission.

Redistricting determines the electoral boundaries for the state's US House seats, the Illinois House and Illinois Senate, and the Cook County Board of Review. The state's judicial districts have also been redistricted from time to time, for example in 1963 and 2021.

1870 redistricting cycle
In 1870, the state adopted a new constitution that fixed the number of legislative districts at 51. Each district elected one senator and three representatives. Thus from 1872 to 1955, the Senate had 51 members and the House had 153.

1900 redistricting cycle
The 1901 redistricting would be the last for more than 50 years.

1950 redistricting cycle
The Legislative Apportionment Amendment of 1954 amended the 1870 Constitution to require the legislature to draw 58 Senate districts and 59 House districts.

1960 redistricting cycle
Under the 1954 Legislative Apportionment Amendment, if the legislature failed to agree on a redistricting plan, the decision would fall to a ten-member redistricting commission containing five members from each party, selected by the governor from lists presented by each party. If the commission also failed to reach an agreement, all 177 House seats would be elected at large. This was intended to ensure that the parties would work together rather than allowing such an inconvenient result. However, following the 1960 census neither the General Assembly nor the redistricting commission could reach an agreement; thus, all House seats were elected at large in the 1964 election, known as the "bedsheet ballot" election due to the length of the ballot that voters were required to fill out.

2010 redistricting cycle
The 2011 maps defined the state Senate and House districts for the XX, YY, ZZ General Assemblies.

2020 redistricting cycle
The 2021 maps defined the state Senate and House districts for the 103rd through 108th General Assemblies.