Evening star., 1961-07-24
Fairfax Area
Seen Lacking
In Delegates
Inequity Is Shown
For Falls Church
And County

that Fairfax and Falls Church
which share joint representa-
Ition at Richmond-have only
"a per cent of the representa-
tion normally they would be
entitled to in the Senate.
In the house, Fairfax-F Falls
Church has about 27 per cent
of its equitable representation
Only one area-Chesterfield
Henrico and Colonial Heights
fares worse with only 20 per
cent Of the representation il
should have, based on popula-
ton.
Redistricting Due in '62
The percentage representa-
tion tables were prepared for
the State Redistricting Com
mission which currently is
studying ways of redividing the
Senate and House districts. The
Virginia General Assembly is
required to redistrict itself in
1862.
The first public hearings on
rediStricting will be held next
month. One session will be
held at 10 am. eastern Stand
ard Time) August 8 in Roa-
noke, and on the following day
the commission will meet in
Richmond at 10 am. eastern
Daylight Time.)
Nothing in the State Con-
Stitution requires that the re-
dictricting be based solely on
population, but it is implied
that this should be the govern
ing factor since the job must
be done at the first session
after the decennial census.
Based on the 1860 census,
the ideal population of a House
district would be 1869 and
of a Senate district, 99,174, if
all districts are to be repre-
sented equally.
Only Is House districts and
five Senate districts come
close to this ideal, the report
points out.
Minority Carries Weight
Under the present appor-
tionrnent. q majority of the
1O0@member House of Dele
gates can be elected by fewer
than 81 per cent of the people,
and a majority of the 40 Sen
ators can be elected by slightly
more than 81 per cent.
The report lists II House
districts that are most over
represented, and II which are
most under-represented. Eight
Senate districts are listed as
the most over-represented, and
five as the most under-rep-
resented.
In the Northern Virginia
area, Arlington County is listed
in addition to Fairfax as being
among the most under-rep-
resented Districts. The table
indicates Arlington has only 70
per cent of the House repre-
sentation it is entitled to based
on population, and only go per
cent of the representation it
should have in the Senate.
Under-repreSented Sena e
districts, in addition to Fairfax,
include: Accomack, Northamp-
ton, Princess Anne, Virginia
Beach. rs per cent; Norfolk
City, 81 per cent: Arlington, so
per cent; Charles City, Colonial
Heights, Chesterfield, Henrico,
48 per cent.
Over-represented Senate dis
trictS include: Halifax, Char
lotte, Prince Edward, lat per
cent: Brunswick, Lunenburg,
Mecklenberg, 160 per cent; Car
roll. Floyd, Grayson, Galax, 176
per cent; Lee. Scott, 1872 per
cent: Clarke, Frederick, Shen-
andoah, Winchester, 148 per
cent; Fredericksburg, Gooch-
land. Louisa. Orange, Spot
sylvania, 158 per cent: Cul-
peper. Fauquier. Loudoun. 1856
per cent; Carolina, Hanover.
King William. Essex, King
and Queen, Middlesex, 14S per
cent.
House Under Represented
The most under-repreSented
districts in the House are:
Amherst, Lynchburg, 81 per
cent; Arlington, 72 per cent:
Buchanan, Dickinson, 10 per
cent; Charles City. James City,
New Kent, York, Williamsburg,
79 per cent; Chesterfield, Hen
rico, Colonial Heights, 20 per
cent; Hampton, A per cent;
Fairfax. Falls Church, q per
cent; Henrico, "a per cent.
Isle of Wight, Nansemond,
Suffolk, IS per cent; Lynch
burg, 72 per cent; Norfolk, 78
per cent; Portsmouth, SO per
cent; Princess Anne, Virginia
Beach, 81 per cent; Prince Will
liam. Stafford. SO per cent;
Roanoke County, "a per cent,
and Roanoke, 81 per cent.
The following are the most
over represented House dis
trictS:
Bland, Giles, 1877 per cent;
Botetourt, Craig, r97 per cent;
Franklin, 153 per cent; Middle
sex. 156 per cent; Grayson,
Galax, Its per cent; Lee, 154
per cent; Loudoun, 162 per
cent; Pulaski, 146 per cent;
Rockingham, Harrisonburg, ISL
per cent; Russell, Isl per cent;
Scott, 154 per cent; Shenan-
doah. 1872 per cent; Southamp-
ton, l46 per cent: Spotsylyania