Abstract
Part I of this Article will provide background on redistricting in Colorado, including an overview of recent developments regarding the establishment of an independent commission. Part II will describe the two federal constitutional requirements for redistricting and then explore the state-specific redistricting criteria used in Colorado. Part III includes a geographic profile of the distinct regions of Colorado and then delves into an examination of how communities of interest have been increasingly used in Colorado redistricting during three of the past four redistricting cycles. Part IV of this Article will critique the use of communities of interest and focus on the arbitrariness inherent in such a vague criterion, the potential for political manipulation of the process of identifying communities of interest, how certain federal interests may be better represented by multiple members of Congress, and how stability should be encouraged in redistricting. This Article will ultimately conclude that the recently established independent commission should avoid recognizing newfound communities of interest due to the redistricting criterion's subjectivity and malleability and should instead seek to preserve only well-established communities of interest in Colorado to the extent required by the Colorado Constitution.
Recommended Citation
David Willner,
Communities of Interest in Colorado Redistricting,
92
U. Colo. L. Rev.
563
(2021).
Available at:
https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/lawreview/vol92/iss2/5