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1 Yurij Rudensky, A New Jersey Redistricting Fix May Create Future Problems [i] (2020)

handle is hein.brennan/bcjnwjf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE A New Jersey Redistricting Fix May Create Future Problems By Yurij Rudensky This November, New Jersey voters will consider Public Question 3, a constitutional amendment that would push back redrawing the state's legislative district map by two years if the Census Bureau does not deliver the necessary population file by February 15 of the year after the census. While this fix may be the best option for responding to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,1 it could create problems for fair representation in New Jersey down the road. Historically, New Jersey has received the population data needed to redraw districts in February or March of the year after the census. However, delays in completing the 2020 Census due to the Covid-19 pandemic mean that this data may not be released until summer 2021. Because New Jersey holds state legislative elections in 2021, such a delay would not leave enough time to redraw the map, allow for a candidate filing process, and hold primary and general elections under new districts. This means New Jersey will likely have to use its existing map (or a slightly modified one) for the 2021 elections and wait until 2023 to put a new one into effect. But, while Public Question 3 may create certainty and be an unavoidable necessity to address current Covid-19-related redistricting delays, it could also create problems for the future. This is because the February 15 deadline for the receipt of redistricting data from the Census Bureau would apply not just in 2021 when delays are expected to be severe - but again in 2031 and each subsequent decade. Moreover, the cutoff it would impose for the delivery of data is extremely early. If future data from the Census Bureau is even slightly delayed, redistricting would be postponed for a whole two years even if there is more than ample time to draw maps and hold elections. 1 2020 Census Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19, accessed October 9, 2020, https://2020census.gov/en/news-events/operational-adjustments-covid-19.html

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