Compactness
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redistricting procedures |
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2020 |
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Compactness refers to the principle that the constituents residing within an electoral district should live as near to one another as possible Compactness can be measured as a ratio of the circumference of a district and its total area. Districts with higher ratios are said to be less compact. Compact districts tend to resemble geometric shapes, such as squares, with straight borders. Compactness can also refer to a shared culture among the residents of a district, with compact districts being those in which most residents share a common culture.[1][2]
A total of 37 states require establish a compactness requirements for state legislative districts, and 18 establish similar requirements for congressional districts. These states have different laws that regulate compactness. For example, Iowa requires that districts not be oddly shaped; California requires districts not to bypass nearby populated areas in favor of more distant populated areas.[1]
