The Constitutional Provision as it Presently Exists

Article II, section 43 of the Washington State Constitution requires that a commission be established every ten years to redistrict state legislative and congressional districts. Redistricting means determining the geographic boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts for election purposes. The commission must be established in January of each year ending in a one. The commission is required to approve a redistricting plan by no later than January 1 of each year ending in a two. If the commission does not approve a plan by January 1 of a year ending in a two, the Washington Supreme Court must adopt a plan by April 30 of that year. The Legislature may amend the redistricting plan by two-thirds vote within the first 30 days of the first legislative session convened after the commission submits its plan to the Legislature.

The Effect Of The Proposed Amendment, if Approved

The amendment would require the state redistricting commission to approve a redistricting plan for state legislative and congressional districts by November 15 of each year ending in a one. This would, in effect, shorten the time for the commission to complete a redistricting plan by 46 days (for example, the commission would need to approve the next redistricting plan by November 15, 2021, rather than the current deadline of January 1, 2022). All other deadlines for redistricting would remain the same.