New York Democrats seek constitutional amendment to change redistricting process
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg Government · May 1
New York Democrats seek constitutional amendment to change redistricting process
11 articles · Updated · Bloomberg Government · May 1
Governor Kathy Hochul and lawmakers aim to pass it by June 4 after the Supreme Court's 6-3 Louisiana v. Callais ruling tightened standards for racial-bias map challenges.
The measure, sponsored by Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, would need approval by two successive legislatures and voters, and would not affect 2026 but could reshape maps for 2028 and 2030.
Democrats say Republican-led mid-decade redistricting elsewhere, especially in Texas, requires a response, while Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie says New York's independent commission should be reworked rather than abolished.
After a key voting rights ruling, could New York’s reform become a national model?
How can a redistricting commission be designed to succeed where the last one failed?
What are the risks when states can redraw political maps between census counts?
NY's 2026 Amendment Proposal: Mid-Decade Redistricting to Counter Partisan Gerrymandering
Overview
In response to the 2020 deadlock of New York's Independent Redistricting Commission and aggressive partisan gerrymandering by states like Texas in 2025, New York Democrats advanced a constitutional amendment in early 2026. This amendment would allow mid-decade redistricting triggered by other states' partisan map changes and lower the legislative approval threshold from a supermajority to a simple majority when the commission deadlocks or the trigger is activated. The move follows a national trend after the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling weakened federal voting rights protections, prompting states like California and Virginia to adopt similar mid-decade redistricting measures. If passed by the legislature and voters by 2027, the new rules would take effect for the 2028 elections, reshaping New York's political landscape amid ongoing legal and political battles.