Florida Amendment 5 (2010), constitutional text changes

Back to Florida Legislative District Boundaries, Amendment 5 (2010)

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Amendment 5 added Section 21 to Article III to the Florida Constitution.

The new Section 21 to Article III read as follows:

Section 21. Standards for establishing legislative district boundaries In establishing Legislative district boundaries: (1) No apportionment plan or district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent; and districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice; and districts shall consist of contiguous territory. (2) Unless compliance with the standards in this subsection conflicts with the standards in subsection (1) or with federal law, districts shall be as nearly equal in population as is practicable; districts shall be compact; and districts shall, where feasible, utilize existing political and geographical boundaries. (3) The order in which the standards within sub-sections (1) and (2) of this section are set forth shall not be read to establish any priority of one standard over the other within that subsection.