What is redistricting?

Redistricting refers specifically to the process of redrawing the boundaries of congressional and other legislative districts, typically done every ten years following the census. This practice is crucial in ensuring that representation accurately reflects the population distribution and demographics within a state. It is intended to maintain equal representation in legislative bodies, as population shifts can lead to significant disparities in how voters are represented.

After each census, the data collected is analyzed to determine how congressional seats should be apportioned among the states and how district lines within those states should be adjusted. This process helps address changes such as population growth, decline, or shifts, ensuring that electoral districts remain fairly balanced in terms of constituent numbers.

The other options do not accurately capture the specifics of what redistricting entails. Changing national borders pertains to international boundaries and is unrelated to internal legislative districting. Running elections involves the organization and administration of electoral processes, but does not involve the redrawing of district lines. Creating new laws is a separate legislative function that refers to the process of proposing and enacting legislation, not the geographic allocation of representation.