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By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Mirror
Arizonans will see the final versions of their new legislative and congressional maps shortly before Christmas under a schedule the Independent Redistricting Commission adopted, with the caveat that things could still stretch into January due to a pandemic-induced delay in the census data it needs to draw the new boundaries.
The commission voted on Monday to adopt a schedule that calls for it to approve final maps by Dec. 22, which would meet the New Year’s Day deadline that the Secretary of State’s Office is hoping for.
Under the AIRC’s new schedule, commissioners would adopt a grid map by Sept. 14, and the public would have 23 days to review the initial lines. The grid map, which is the constitutionally mandated starting point for the AIRC, is an essentially arbitrary collection of districts that have equal populations but take no other factors into account and which the commissioners later adjust based on the Arizona Constitution’s six redistricting criteria.
The AIRC would complete the first drafts of its maps by Oct. 27, followed by a constitutionally mandated 30-day public comment period. The commissioners would then have about three weeks to make additional changes based on public comments or other input before voting on final maps.
