Applications open for Virginia Redistricting Commission

Virginia officials are now accepting applications for the new Virginia Redistricting Commission, a 16-member board that will be tasked with proposing plans for redrawing districts for the U.S. House of Representatives and the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate.

Applications to serve as a citizen member on the Virginia Redistricting Commission are open to Virginia residents from Nov. 30 through Dec. 28. Eligible applicants are required to have been Virginia residents and registered voters in Virginia for the past three years and to have voted in at least two of the past three general elections. Eligible applicants must not have held partisan or political office or other related employment.

Virginia citizens are invited to apply for membership on the commission regardless of their education level, work experience, or socioeconomic status. The application and specific criteria for eligibility, are available at http://redistricting.dls.virginia.gov.

The eight citizen members will be selected by the Redistricting Commission Selection Committee, composed of five retired judges from the circuit courts of Virginia. The selection committee will select citizen members from lists of candidates chosen from the pool of eligible applicants and presented to the committee by the majority and minority leadership of the Senate of Virginia and the House of Delegates. In making its determinations, the selection committee is required to ensure that the makeup of the commission is representative of the racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity of Virginia.

The selection committee held its first meeting Nov. 25 and will next convene in January to conduct its review of applicants and notify candidates of their selection.

Once citizen and legislative members are selected, the Virginia Redistricting Commission will hold its first public meeting by Feb. 1. It will begin its work to develop redistricting plans for proposal to the General Assembly upon receipt of 2020 census data.

Applications may be submitted by email to varedist@dls.virginia.gov, faxed to (804) 698-1899, or mailed to the Division of Legislative Services, Attn: Selection Committee, 900 E. Main St., Richmond, VA 23219. Applications must be received by the Division of Legislative Services by Monday, Dec. 28.

For details, visit http://redistricting.dls.virginia.gov.