Redistricting General Information
| Massachusetts State Law | |
|---|---|
| 1. Constitutional Citations | |
a) Congressional Redistricting: | None (US Constitution Article 1, Section 2 and 14th Amendment) |
b) Legislative Redistricting: | Article CI, as amended by Article CIX, Article CXVII, and Article CXIX |
| 2. Statutory or Other Citations | |
a) Description of Current Congressional Districts: |
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 57 §1 |
b) Description of Current Legislative Districts: |
Senate: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 57 § 3
House: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 57 § 4 |
c) Districting Principles or Procedure: |
Massachusetts Constitution Article CI, as amended by Article CIX, Article CXVII, and Article CXIX |
| 3. Congressional Districts | |
a) Present Number: | 9 |
b) Prospective Number after 2020 Census: | 9 |
| 4. State Legislative Districts | |
a) Senate | |
Number of Districts: | 40 |
b) House | |
Number of Districts: | 160 |
| 5. Redistricting Requirements | |
a) Initial Responsibility for Drawing Congressional Districts | Legislature |
b) Initial Responsibility for Drawing Legislative Districts: | Legislature |
c) Legislative Committee Responsible for Redistricting: | Joint Committee on Redistricting |
e) Gubernatorial Veto Power over Congressional Plan? | Yes |
f) Gubernatorial Veto Power over Legislative Plan? | Yes |
| 6. Redistricting Deadlines | |
| Congressional Deadline: | None |
Basis for Deadline: | N/A |
Effect of Failure to Meet Deadline: | N/A |
| Legislative Deadline: | In time for 2022 election. |
Basis for Deadline: | Massachusetts Constitution |
Effect of Failure to Meet Deadline: | Massachusetts Constitution is silent. |
Representative residency requirement | One year in the district preceding election - Massachusetts Constitution Chapter I, Section III, Article III. |
Senate residency requirement | Five years in Massachusetts and inhabitant of the district when elected - Massachusetts Constitution Chapter I, Section III, Article V. |
Massachusetts Constitution Article CI as amended
Section 1. The federal census shall be the basis for determining the representative districts for the ten year period beginning with the first Wednesday in the third January following the taking of said census.
The House of Representatives shall consist of one hundred and sixty members. The General Court shall, at its first regular session after the year in which said census was taken, divide the Commonwealth into one hundred and sixty representative districts of contiguous territory so that each representative will represent an equal number of inhabitants, as nearly as may be; and such districts shall be formed, as nearly as may be, without uniting two counties or parts of two or more counties, two towns or parts of two or more towns, two cities or parts of two or more cities, or a city and a town, or parts of cities and towns, into one district. Such districts shall also be so formed that no town containing less than twenty-five hundred inhabitants according to said census shall be divided. The General Court may by law limit the time within which judicial proceedings may be instituted calling in question any such division. Every representative, for one year at least immediately preceding his election, shall have been an inhabitant of the district for which he is chosen and shall cease to represent such district when he shall cease to be an inhabitant of the Commonwealth. The manner of calling and conducting the elections for the choice of representatives, and of ascertaining their election, shall be prescribed by law.
Section 2. Said federal census shall likewise be the basis for determining the senatorial districts and also the councillor districts for the ten year period beginning with the first Wednesday in the third January following the taking of said census. The Senate shall consist of forty members. The General Court shall, at its first regular session after the year in which said census is taken, divide the Commonwealth into forty districts of contiguous territory, each district to contain, as nearly as may be, an equal number of inhabitants according to said census; and such districts shall be formed, as nearly as may be, without uniting two counties, or parts of two or more counties, into one district. The General Court may by law limit the time within which judicial proceedings may be instituted calling in question such division. Each district shall elect one senator, who shall have been an inhabitant of this Commonwealth five years at least immediately preceding his election and at the time of his election shall be an inhabitant of the district for which he is chosen; and he shall cease to represent such senatorial district when he shall cease to be an inhabitant of the Commonwealth. The manner of calling and conducting the elections for the choice of senators and councillors, and of ascertaining their election, shall be prescribed by law.