Citizen Redistricting Committee

A push to take the job of drawing voting districts away from state lawmakers and give it to an independent commission has failed to pass in every legislative session since New Mexico redrew its maps in 2021. A joint resolution introduced Monday again seeks the change for state offices, but would leave the power to redraw the U.S. House map in the hands of legislators.

After a proposal to take the responsibility of drawing the state’s voting maps out of New Mexico lawmakers’ hands failed to pass in the last two legislative sessions, advocates and lawmakers calling for a fairer, less partisan process are planning to take another stab at it.

The election of all 70 seats in the New Mexico House was the first go around for a new district map. While Democratic control of the House will remain the same, the redistricting process may not.

The question of whether to have an independent commission, rather than lawmakers, redraw the state’s legislative maps has advanced out of its first committee.

The special legislative session focused on redrawing the state’s voting maps ended last month. KUNM’s Nash Jones spoke with Kathleen Burke, program coordinator of Fair Districts for New Mexico, to hear how the watchdog group thought the process went this time around and where the state’s effort stands today.

Let’s Talk New Mexico 9/30 8am: The once-in-a-decade redistricting process is underway in New Mexico. Lines are being redrawn for the U.S. House, state…

Earlier this month, KUNM reported about an online portal, Districtr, where New Mexicans can draw and submit their own maps to the Citizen Redistricting…

As New Mexico redraws the district boundaries for its state legislature, U.S. House and Public Education Commission, pueblos across the state are…

The once-a-decade redistricting process is underway in New Mexico. The Citizen Redistricting Committee, newly-established under the 2021 Redistricting…