Drawing outside the lines
Politicians still draw most congressional maps. But a growing number of states—including some Republican-leaning ones—are trying a different approach.
9: That’s the number of states that use independent citizen commissions—not politicians—to draw congressional maps.
Why it matters: In Louisiana and most of the country, congressional redistricting remains a political process controlled by elected officials with direct political interests in the outcome. Redistricting has long been part power play, part incumbent protection and part partisan chess match.
Power to the people: Not every state does it that way.
As of 2026, nine states—including Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan and Washington—use independent commissions designed to place mapmaking in the hands of citizens instead of lawmakers. Another 12 states use advisory or backup commissions in some capacity.
The systems differ widely. Some ban elected officials, party insiders and lobbyists from serving. Others require bipartisan membership, public hearings and transparency rules.
Undisputed champ: Then there’s Iowa, which uses a unique system where nonpartisan legislative staff draws maps without using political or election data.
Nonpartisan politics: The idea isn’t confined to blue states. Republican-leaning Idaho, Montana and Iowa all use systems designed to reduce direct political influence over the mapmaking process.
The bottom line: Politics never fully disappears from redistricting. But a growing number of states are at least attempting to separate mapmaking from the politicians and parties that benefit most from it.
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JR Ball
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