H.R. 7219: Fair Apportionment and Independent Redistricting for Maps that Avoid Partisanship Act

This proposed legislation, titled the Fair Apportionment and Independent Redistricting for Maps that Avoid Partisanship Act (FAIR MAP Act), introduces several key provisions aimed at regulating the congressional districting process in the United States and affecting electoral practices. Below is a summary of the significant components of the bill:

Requirements for Congressional Districts

The bill stipulates that any congressional district established by a state must adhere to several specific requirements:

1. Each district must consist of contiguous territory, meaning that all parts of the district must be connected, except in cases where water bodies surround an area.
2. The districts should be compact in shape as much as possible.
3. No district can be drawn to discourage competition or to favor a particular candidate or political party. The process should consider maintaining the cores of existing districts, political subdivisions like counties and cities, as well as communities of interest.
4. As much as feasible, the populations of each district should be approximately equal, based on the most recent decennial census that counts only U.S. citizens and lawful immigrants.

Limit on Congressional Redistricting

The bill restricts states to only one round of redistricting following each decennial census. States may only redraw districts if required by a court for constitutional compliance, to enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965, or to comply with this bill.

Exclusion of Certain Populations in Apportionment

The legislation proposes that for the purposes of congressional representation and electoral votes, states should exclude aliens without lawful status. This will impact how the U.S. Census Bureau conducts future censuses starting with the 2030 census, requiring a method to identify whether individuals are U.S. citizens or aliens with lawful status.

Challenges to Redistricting

Any legal challenges against congressional districts established by a state must be filed in a U.S. District Court, as defined by the bill.

Voting Procedures

The bill includes provisions that affect voting methods, including:

• Prohibiting the use of ranked choice voting in federal elections, which is a system allowing voters to rank candidates by preference.
• Mandating that individuals voting in person present valid photo identification issued by a government entity.
• For those voting by mail or absentee, they must provide a ballot that includes a matching signature to their voter registration.

Same-Day Registration

The bill prohibits states from allowing same-day voter registration for federal elections, ensuring individuals must register before Election Day.

Impact on State and Local Elections

It is specified that this bill does not affect how states conduct elections for state and local offices, including their districting processes for those elections.

Effective Date

The provisions of this bill would take effect with congressional districts established after the enactment of the bill and would impact certain voting practices starting from elections held after a specified date.

Relevant Companies

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