Illinois legislative redistricting
You may have new legislators this year Have you noticed more activity than usual this election year? Are you wondering why you are voting in a new district or for different legislators, even though you haven't moved? You may not notice, but this happens after the results of each census.
Legislative Districts
Illinois is divided into 118 "districts," with one Representative elected from each of these districts. These 118 Representatives make up the Illinois House.
There are also 59 Senate districts, created by combining two Representative districts. (For example, Representative District 1 and District 2 make up Senate District 1, etc). The 59 Senators elected from each of these districts make up the Illinois Senate.
Why do districts change?
Every 10 years all of the districts are redrawn to reflect the current population distribution, based on the previous U.S. Census. When this happens, all legislators are up for election at the same time in these new districts. So, you may be voting for a legislator that used to represent your friends across town because the district boundaries changed, while your current state representative is now representing another district across town.
How are legislator terms set?
Senators are elected to two- or four-year terms. In each election year, two-thirds of the seats in the Senate are up for re-election. The split between which are four year terms and which are two year terms is determined by lottery after the census.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, so the entire House is always up for re-election every two years. |
