These rules are usually listed in the electoral law, but they can sometimes be found in the country's constitution. Examples of redistricting rules enacted by selected countries can be found in Election laws or constitutional provisions listing redistricting criteria for selected countries . The rules often specify that districts should be as equal in population as possible, taking into account a variety of other factors. Respect for communities of interest is another factor many countries specify. Almost all countries that have formal redistricting criteria require that districts be as equal in population as possible.
Many countries specify tolerance levels or population deviation limits from the electoral quota.
Criteria Relating to Election Outcomes Equal population, geographic considerations and communities of interest are criteria that relate directly to the process of creating districts. But countries that delimit districts usually do not adopt criteria relating to the fairness of the outcome. This is because countries with single-member districts can rarely meet these standards, if fairness of outcome is defined as proportional or near proportional representation for political parties and minority groups. Conclusion Redistricting criteria can conflict with one another. For instance, although almost all countries list population equality as a redistricting criterion, few countries actually have districts that are close to equal in population.