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Applications to serve as a citizen member on the Virginia Redistricting Commission are open to Virginia residents through Monday, Dec. 28.

The 16-member commission, created following the passage of an amendment to the constitution of Virginia in the 2020 general election, will consist of eight citizen members and eight legislative members who will be tasked with proposing plans for redrawing districts for the United States House of Representatives, the Senate of Virginia, and the House of Delegates.

Eligible applicants are required to have been Virginia residents and registered voters in Virginia for the past three years and to have voted in at least two of the last three general elections. Eligible applicants must not have held partisan or political office or other related employment. Virginia citizens are invited to apply for membership on the commission regardless of education level, work experience, or socioeconomic status. The application for service on the commission and additional information, including specific criteria for eligibility, are available on the Division of Legislative Services’ Redistricting website beginning Monday, Nov. 30. redistricting.dls.virginia.gov.

The eight citizen members will be selected by the Redistricting Commission Selection Committee, composed of five retired judges from the circuit courts of Virginia: the Honorable Pamela Baskervill, chair, the Honorable Joanne F. Alper, the Honorable William C. Andrews III, the Honorable Larry B. Kirksey, and the Honorable David Pugh. The selection committee will select citizen members from lists of candidates chosen from the pool of eligible applicants and presented to the selection committee by the majority and minority leadership of the Senate of Virginia and the House of Delegates. In making its determinations, the selection committee is required to ensure that the makeup of the commission is representative of the racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity of the commonwealth.

The selection committee held its first meeting Nov. 25, to approve the application process. After the close of the application period and receipt of candidate lists from legislative leaders, the selection committee will convene again to conduct its review of applicants and notify candidates of their selection in January 2021.

Once citizen and legislative members are selected, the Virginia Redistricting Commission will hold its first public meeting by Feb. 1. The commission will begin its work to develop redistricting plans for proposal to the General Assembly upon receipt of 2020 census data.

Applications may be submitted by email to varedist@dls.virginia.gov, faxed to (804) 698-1899, or mailed to the Division of Legislative Services, Attn: Selection Committee, 900 E. Main St., Richmond, VA 23219. Applications must be received by the Division of Legislative Services by Monday, December 28, 2020.

For more information, visit: redistricting.dls.virginia.gov.