The legislative districts shall be numbered in a regular series, beginning with district one in the northernmost part of the state and proceeding south through the Panhandle then across the state generally from west to east. The congressional district that encompasses the Idaho Panhandle shall be numbered congressional district one.
The Commission has selected the publicly available, GIS-based redistricting software application Maptitude for Redistricting (Caliper Corporation). In addition, the Commission has provided a free online version of Maptitude to the public to enable them to draw and submit maps to the public. All other GIS-based redistricting plans that are submitted to the Commission in electronic format must be able to be imported into Maptitude. Those that are not compatible with Maptitude will be accepted in hard copy format.
The Commission expects that redistricting plans submitted for their consideration will meet the minimum standards established in the guidelines adopted by the Commission, as well as comply with the state and federal constitutions, state statutes, including Idaho Code 72-1506, and all relevant case law, including but not limited to the following state and U.S. Supreme Court cases: Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962); Gray v. Sanders, 372 U.S. 368 (1963); Wesberry v. Sanders, 376 U.S. 1 (1964); Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964); Shaw v. Reno, 509 U.S. 630 (1993); Miller v. Johnson, 515 U.S. 900 (1995); Bush v. Vera, 517 U.S. 899 (1996); Smith v. Idaho Commission on Redistricting, 136 Idaho 542 (2001); Bingham County v. Idaho Commission on Reapportionment, 137 Idaho 870 (2002); and Bonneville County v. Ysursa, 142 Idaho 464 (2005).
The Commission will permit the proposal of partial plans, though the Commission will consider the statewide impact of the partial plan in considering feasibility.
An individual citizen or organization may submit a redistricting plan to the office of the Commission. Any such plans must be accompanied with the current contact information (name, address, telephone number) for the individual or group making the submission. All drafts, amendments or revisions to plans presented at any public hearing or Commission meeting should be on clearly depicted maps which follow census geographic boundaries and should be accompanied by a statistical sheet listing the census geography including the total population and the minority population for each proposed district. (This information is automatically generated for any maps submitted through Maptitude Online for Redistricting.)
Commission staff will contact each individual or group having submitted a proposal to verify authenticity at the request of any Commissioner.
The Commission non-partisan staff will establish and maintain a meeting notice and contact list. Any individual or group wishing to receive notice of Commission meetings will be included in the list and shall receive meeting notices free of charge.
Commission staff will digitally record all Commission meetings. Summary minutes of all meetings will be kept and maintained as part of the public record. Copies of the minutes should be made available in a timely manner on the Commission’s web site.
The Attorney General’s representative will provide advice and guidance during and between meetings to assist the Commission in developing a solid set of findings/justification to provide to the Supreme Court when submitting the final plans.
When speaking to the Commission, an individual may address any area pertinent to the redistricting process. The Commission would like to hear testimony regarding local community interests including demographics, economics, geography, population trends and political and historical factors. Individuals and groups speaking before the Commission are encouraged to supply a written copy of their testimony.
All plans submitted to the Redistricting Commission will be made part of the public record. The Commission on Redistricting will make plans and its official policies available for public inspection on its website. Paper copies will be available at cost.
Non-partisan staff assigned to the Commission shall not have access to the partisan secure rooms except by invitation of commissioners or their partisan staff, and likewise will provide only technical assistance to Commissioners and partisan staff. Staff may provide technical assistance to the public, but may not assist with the actual drawing of plans.
Each set of commissioners will have complete control of their partisan staff and partisan staff budget.
A redistricting plan formally placed before the Commission for a vote must first be offered by a member of the Commission, and seconded. All other motions shall not require a second. The acting Chair may not move a plan, but may second a plan for a vote.
A vote on a regional plan does not bind a member as to his or her vote on the full and final statewide plan.
Commissioners, as separate caucuses, may officially meet up to two days before or after scheduled public hearings or joint public meetings for logistical, strategic, or travel purposes.