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Redistricting apps and software available for the 2020 cycle
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Districts are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census.
In the 2020 redistricting cycle, a number of applications provided access to population and election data and allowed users to create, modify, and share district maps based on criteria such as competitiveness and demographics. These applications vary in features, with some designed for use by state governments and others geared toward the general public. Some applications provided datasets with varying levels of detail and scope, and others relied on data provided by the user. This page provides a list of available redistricting apps as of April 2020.
Application features
Of the ten apps listed on this page, five were free. All apps allowed users to create maps, and five allowed users to generate reports. Six apps included data sets, and six apps were browser-based, meaning they can be used in a web browser window.
Note: The information listed about all applications was accurate as of April 2021.
| Redistricting apps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Free | Create maps | Includes data | Share maps | Create reports | Browser-based | Intended user |
| AutoBound |  |
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Governments |
| Auto-Redistrict | |
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Governments |
| Dave's Redistricting App | |
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General public |
| DistrictBuilder | |
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General public |
| Districtr | |
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General public |
| DISTRICTSolv | |
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Governments |
| Esri Redistricting | |
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Governments, general public, organizations |
| iRedistrict | |
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Governments |
| Maptitude for Redistricting | |
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Governments |
| Representable | |
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General public and organizations |
AutoBound
AutoBound is a redistricting app developed by Citygate GIS. It was used by over 30 states to create the 2000 congressional and state legislative districts and was also used in Canada in 2001 and 2011. Autobound uses a number of analytics allowing users to build maps based on multiple criteria, such as population, contiguity, and compactness.
Features
- Edit boundaries
- Redistricting at multiple levels
- Group and lock district levels
- Automated redistricting
- Unlimited undos
- Excel compatible tool for spreadsheets
- Wizard driven interface
- Import census data from CD
- Export to Google Earth
- Analyze contiguity
- Five compactness measurements
- Import/export plans to other systems
- Directly output to the internet
- Security features prevent unauthorized edits
- Geocoding
- Includes report-writing tool
- Can use user-generated data sets
- Over 2 gigs of data
Auto-Redistrict
Auto-Redistrict is a free and open-source program that allows users to create electoral districts. Users can open a shapefile, add census and election data, and generate maps based on various criteria.
Features
- Create districts that meet multiple criteria, including:
- Equal population
- Contiguous
- Compact
- County/municipality splits
- Competitive
- Proportional
- Partisan gerrymandering
- Racial gerrymandering
Dave's Redistricting App
DRA 2020 is a free web app that allows users to create and modify redistricting maps for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The app features election data, demographic data from the 2010 census, and 2019 American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates.
Features
- Offers existing official district maps and allows creation of custom maps
- Explore methods of analysis, including:
- Measures of proportionality
- Competitiveness
- Minority representation
- Compactness and splitting
- 2020 shapes and block-level data for all states
DistrictBuilder
DistrictBuilder offers free and open-source software that gives users access to block-level data used in legal redistricting plans. Users can build district maps and explore proportionality, competitiveness, contiguity, and other criteria.
Features
- Use exisiting district data or create custom districts
- Review data and criteria for each district
- Evaluate and explore demographics and the effects of gerrymandering
- Export maps anywhere online
Districtr
Districtr is a free tool for creating and sharing districts and communities of interest. Users can select a variety of scales to analyze maps, from congressional districts to sanitation districts.
Features
- Design your own districts and share the results
- Identify and mark communities of interest
- Offers twice weekly training sessions
DISTRICTSolv
DISTRICTSolv offers software to draw and analyze districts and provides training, technical support, and data services.
Features
- Drag and drop blocks
- Instant data view of changes
- Communities of interest
- Minimize plan rejections
- Optimized/compact/contiguous districts
- Reports
- Compare overlay differences
Esri Redistricting
Esri Redistricting allows users to create and share redistricting plans. The software features tools to manage, visualize, edit, and collaborate on these plans.
Features
- Legislative requirements and judicial audits
- Secure sharing
- Create custom reports
- Multiple deployment options
iRedistrict
iRedistrict offers software to create redistricting plans based on user-inputs that can be tailored to adhere to legal requirement and/or user-specified criteria.
Features
- Can be used with Windows, Mac and Linux
- Includes multiple algorithms
- Automatically or manually generate redistricting plans
- Explore measures of contiguity and compactness
- Individualized communities of interest
- Adhere to existing boundaries
- Export maps and plans to ESRI shapefiles
- Evaluate locations and impacts of opening or closing a site
- Share plans with iRedistrict Online
Maptitude for Redistricting
Maptitude for Redistricting allows users to share and manage an unlimited number of redistricting plans. Plans can be customized or created from existing maps or templates.
Features
- Census geography and data
- Create reports
- Uses a state-of-the-art interface
- Provides access to industry-standard file formats
- Can be used with Google Maps and Google Earth
- Provides tutorials and web solutions
Representable
Representable is a free, open-source app designed to help map drawers, journalists, analysts, and activists drawing and analyze district maps based on communities of interest. Individuals can submit their own community's information and share this information with others.
Features
- Guiding questions to help users identify communities of interest
- Designed to be interoperable with other mapping software
- Allows organizations to organize community mapping drives to collect information on communities of interest
See also
Select a state on the map below to read more about redistricting in that state.
- Redistricting
- State legislative and congressional redistricting after the 2010 census
- United States census, 2020
External links
- All About Redistricting (Loyola Law School)
- United States Census Bureau, Redistricting Data
- National Conference of State Legislatures, Redistricting
