Districts, Districting & Redistricting
Names and abbreviations on this page
US — United States. US$ denotes United States dollars.
District — the area
An electoral district is a geographic area whose voters elect one or more representatives. Examples include congressional districts, state legislative districts and some city council districts.
Districting — drawing the boundaries
Districting is the process of dividing an area into electoral districts. The boundary determines which voters belong to a district.
Redistricting — changing the boundaries
Redistricting redraws existing districts. It commonly follows the census so representation can reflect population changes. Laws and court decisions can also affect maps.
Who draws the map and which rules apply depend on the jurisdiction. Check the current official map rather than assuming an older district number still applies.
Apportionment — assigning seats
Apportionment determines how the 435 U.S. House seats are divided among states after the census. Redistricting determines district boundaries within states.
Districts and precincts serve different purposes
A representative’s district identifies the area they serve. A voting precinct is an area used to administer elections. A precinct is not necessarily the same as a congressional or legislative district.