The process by which seats in a legislative body are distributed among administrative divisions based on changes in population.
What is reapportionment?
The term Reapportionment refers to the redistribution of legislative seats among states or other jurisdictions based on population or another legal allocation rule, distinct from drawing district boundaries. It gives election, security, legal, or technical readers a specific label for the concept rather than a broader everyday meaning.
How is reapportionment different from redistricting?
Reapportionment reallocates a fixed number of legislative seats among states or other jurisdictions, usually after population changes are measured. Redistricting redraws the geographic boundaries of electoral districts within a jurisdiction. The processes are related because reapportionment can change how many districts must be drawn, but they answer different allocation questions.
Why does reapportionment matter after a census?
Understanding Reapportionment matters because rules for translating votes into seats or representation can change the outcome produced from the same vote totals. The term refers to the redistribution of legislative seats among states or other jurisdictions based on population or another legal allocation rule, distinct from drawing district boundaries.
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The process by which seats in a legislative body are distributed among administrative divisions based on changes in population.
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Reapportionment. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 21, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/reapportionment
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