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Deviation

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Redistricting
State-by-state
redistricting procedures
Majority-minority districts
Congressional district demographics
United States census,
2020
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In redistricting, deviation refers to the difference between the populations of electoral districts. Electoral districts are constitutionally required to have similar populations. However, there is no exact threshold for determining whether population deviations between districts are permissible; thresholds vary according to the type of district and from to state to state. According to All About Redistricting, congressional districts tend to be held to tighter standards; population deviations of 1 percent or more are generally considered impermissible without justification (e.g., a state's good-faith efforts to comply with provisions of the Voting Rights Act). States may set population deviation standards for their state legislative districts. For example, Colorado law requires a deviation of less than 5 percent between the smallest and largest state legislative district.[1][2]

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