Every ten years, after the federal census, the states must redraw their legislative election districts to make these districts equal in population. During the intervening years some districts have gained population and others have lost population. The process of drawing new election district boundaries is called redistricting.
States go about redistricting differently.
Usually it is done by the legislature, but some state constitutions delegate the power to a board or commission. The Alaska Redistricting Board has 90 days to complete the task from the time the federal Census Bureau reports the decennial population figures to the state. The Board s redistricting plan must conform to state and federal standards. The Alaska Redistricting Board, its constitutional duties, and standards for election districts are discussed below. The Alaska Redistricting Board Article VI of the Alaska Constitution provides for the apportionment and districting of the state legislature.