REDISTRICTING
Legislature's Redistricting Responsibility
The Nebraska legislature is responsible for redistricting for the following offices:
- Nebraska’s three Congressional Districts
- 49 single member Legislative districts
- 6 single member Supreme Court districts
- 8 single members Board of Regents districts
- 5 single member Public Service Commission districts
- 8 single member Board of Eduction districts
Nebraska Rules for Redistricting
The Nebraska Legislature’s Redistricting Committee is meeting under the rules of LR 34 – the guidelines to be used by the Legislature during the 2021 redistricting process and AM 1472. Under the guidelines:
Population data from the 2020 United States Census will be used for purposes of redistricting.
- District boundaries shall follow county lines whenever practicable and shall define districts that are compact and contiguous as these terms have been articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- If adherence to county lines causes a redistricting plan, or any aspect thereof, to be in violation of principles set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court in interpreting the U.S. Constitution, that requirement may be waived to the extent necessary to bring the plan or aspect of the plan into compliance with such principles. Insofar as possible, and within the context of principles set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court, district boundaries shall define districts that are easily identifiable and understandable to voters, preserve communities of interest, and allow for the preservation of the cores of prior districts.
When feasible, district boundary lines shall coincide with the boundaries of cities and villages. If a county, city, or village must be divided, the division shall be made along clearly recognizable boundaries, as described by census geography.
- District boundaries shall not be established with the intention of favoring a political party or any other group or person.
In drawing district boundaries, no consideration shall be given to the political affiliations of registered voters, demographic information other than population figures, or the results of previous elections.
District boundaries that would result in the unlawful dilution of the voting strength of any minority population shall not be established.
The general goal of the redistricting process shall be the creation of districts that are substantially equal in population.
The maximum population deviation between Congressional seats can be no more than 1%.
The maximum population deviation for Nebraska legislative and other district seats may be no more than 10%.
- Read the Legislative Research Office’s Nebraska Redistricting, 2021. Click on image below.
Redistricting Committee Now Meeting
The Nebraska Legislature Redistricting Committee is now meeting. Below are the nine members of the Redistricting Committee. As a citizens of Nebraska, we encourage you to reach out to members of the committee to make sure your voice is heard.
- Chair, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, D39 (Omaha – Elkhorn), (402)471-2885, llinehan@leg.ne.gov
- Sen. Carol Blood, D3 (Bellevue),(402)471 -2627, cblood@leg.ne.gov
- Sen.Tom Brewer, D43 (Gordon), (402)471-2628, tbrewer@leg.ne.gov
- Sen. Tom Briese, D41 (Albion), (402)471-2631, tbriese@leg.ne.gov
- Sen. Suzanne Geist (Lincoln), D25, (402)471-2731, sgeist@leg.ne.gov
- Sen. Steve Lathrop, D12 (Omaha), (402)471-2623, slathrop@leg.ne.gov
- Sen. John Lowe, D37 (Kearney), (402)471-2726, jlowe@leg.ne.gov
- Sen. Adam Morfeld, D46 (Lincoln), (402)471-2720, amorfeld@leg.ne.gov
- Sen. Justin Wayne, D13 (Omaha), (402)471-2727, jwayne@leg.ne.gov
Redistricting Public Hearings are Sept. 14-17
Members of the public will have the chance to testify in front of the redistricting committee to make sure their voices are heard. For more details as to dates, locations and times, visit our TAKE ACTION page.