| Congressional Boundaries | Drawn by legislature with advisory commission |
| State Boundaries | Drawn by legislature with advisory commission |
| Governor's Party | Democratic |
| Legislative Party | Democratic |
Scored Maps from the Redistricting Report Card
| Rhode Island 2022 State Senate Map - Enacted | Graded | Sat Dec 09 2023 |
| Rhode Island 2022 Final State House Map - Enacted | Metrics calculated | Tue Mar 08 2022 |
| Rhode Island 2022 Final Congressional Map - Enacted | Metrics calculated | Mon Feb 28 2022 |
| Rhode Island 2021 Legislative Commission Draft State House Map A | Metrics calculated | Wed Dec 08 2021 |
| Rhode Island 2021 Legislative Commission Draft State House Map B | Metrics calculated | Wed Dec 08 2021 |
| Rhode Island 2021 Legislative Commission Draft State Senate Map A | Metrics calculated | Mon Dec 06 2021 |
| Rhode Island 2021 Legislative Commission Draft State Senate Map B | Metrics calculated | Mon Dec 06 2021 |
Communities of Interest
Check out Communities of Interest collected in this state on Representable
Learn about Communities of Interest in this state
Census-related Redistricting Timeline Delays
State Legislative
Alert: Low| Final Map Deadline | 2022-06-27 |
| Deadline Type | Candidate filing |
| Other Dates |
|
| News Sources | As redistricting approaches, Census delay makes RI's late primary a 'blessing in disguise' |
| Additional Notes |
Congressional
Alert: Low| Final Map Deadline | 2022-06-27 |
| Deadline Type | Candidate filing |
| Other Dates |
|
| News Sources | As redistricting approaches, Census delay makes RI's late primary a 'blessing in disguise' |
| Additional Notes |
Process
State Legislature
Rhode Island's state legislative and congressional lines are drawn by the state Legislature by ordinary statute, and are subject to the Governor's veto. The Legislature can override vetoes with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.
Advisory Commission
In 2011, Rhode Island established an 18-member advisory commission, comprised of both legislators and citizens, that makes recommendations to the Legislature, which it can accept, modify, or reject entirely.
Criteria
In addition to the federal requirements of one person, one vote and the Voting Rights Act, Rhode Island’s state constitution (Art. VII § 1; VIII § 1) requires that state legislative districts be compact. Rhode Island’s state statutes (2011 R.I. Laws chs. 100, 106) also require that both state legislative and congressional districts be contiguous and preserve political subdivisions.
Public Input
Rhode Island law requires the advisory commission to conduct public hearings prior to issuing findings and recommendations; there is no specified number of hearings required. In the last redistricting cycle, the commission held an initial series of seven hearings in October 2011, followed by seven more in November and December.
Issues
Pitfalls
One measure of partisan bias in redistricting is the efficiency gap, or the difference between the two parties’ wasted votes, divided by the total number of votes cast. A study by Nicholas Stephanopolis and Eric McGee, the creators of the efficiency gap, found that Rhode Island’s 2012 House of Representative plan was one of the most partisan gerrymanders in the United States.
Potential Reform
In 2020, a pair of companion bills was introduced in the Rhode Island Legislature. These bills (H7260/S2077) sought to amend the state constitution by adding a fifteen-member independent citizens' redistricting commission. The bills also included redistricting criteria, public hearing, and transparency requirements. Both bills adjourned sine die.
Actions
In 2021, participate in the advisory commission’s public input process.
- Obtain Rhode Island redistricting data from OpenPrecincts.
- Start to plan out what defines your community – whether it’s a shared economic interest, school districts, or other social or other cultural, historical, or economic interests – and how that can be represented on a map. This will come in handy once the advisory commission starts collecting feedback.
- Use software tools such as Dave's Redistricting App and Districtr to draw district maps showing either (a) what a fair map would look like, or (b) where the community you believe should be better represented is located.
Contacts
League of Women Voters of Rhode Island