IDAHO — A proposed amendment to the state constitution was on the ballot Tuesday. HJR4 locks in the number of Idaho legislative districts at 35.
The census, which happens every 10 years, tells us how many people live in Idaho and where. A committee then redraws legislative districts based on that information.
The committee can divide the state into anywhere between 30 and 35 districts, but lawmakers from both parties wanted that number to stay at 35.
“If we allow the commission to go down to 30 districts, that means those districts are going to have to be bigger, which means that there’s going to be more people vying for the attention of your representative," said Ilana Rubel (D-Boise), House Minority Leader.
It is just one of the many ways census information affects our communities, and why it's so important to get an accurate count. The measure needed a simple majority to pass, and it has unofficially passed with nearly 68% voting yes.
