Congressional and legislative plans are drawn by the Legislative Services Agency and enacted by the Iowa General Assembly, subject to the Governor’s veto. If they fail to enact legislative plans, they are adopted by the Iowa Supreme Court.
Iowa’s congressional delegation remained at 4 seats following the 2020 reapportionment.
Primary Authority: Congressional and legislative maps are drawn and proposed by the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) and enacted by the General Assembly, subject to the Governor’s veto. The General Assembly can override a veto with a 2/3 vote in each chamber. No party currently has a veto-proof majority in either chamber. [Iowa Const. art. III, § 35; Iowa Code §§ 42.2, 42.3]
If a bill is presented to the Governor during session, the Governor has 3 days to sign or veto it; otherwise, it becomes law without signature. If the bill is delivered during the last 3 days of the session, the Governor must sign or veto it within 30 days of session adjournment; otherwise, it is pocket vetoed. Sundays are excluded from these calculations.
Advisory Authority: A 5-member temporary redistricting advisory commission is established to administer and coordinate public hearings and input on the LSA’s proposed plans. The majority and minority leaders of the Iowa House and Senate each appoint 1 member and those 4 initial members then appoint a 5th member with at least 3 affirmative votes. Commission members must be eligible Iowa voters and must not hold public office or political party office, be a relative of or employee of a member of Congress or the Iowa General Assembly or be directly employed by those institutions. [Iowa Code §§ 42.1, 42.5, 42.6]
Backup Authority: If the General Assembly fails to enact legislative plans by its deadline, they are adopted by the Iowa Supreme Court. There is no backup process for congressional plans. [Iowa Const. art. III, § 35]
Mapping Timeline: The advisory commission must be established by February 15 of years ending in 1. The LSA must submit one bill with proposed congressional and legislative plans to the General Assembly by April 1 of years ending in 1. The advisory commission must then hold at least 3 public hearings in different geographic regions of the state and submit a report of public input to the General Assembly no later than 14 days after the bill is delivered. Within 3 days of that report’s delivery, the General Assembly must vote on the bill without amendment and, if rejected, must deliver the reasons for such rejection to the LSA within 7 days of the bill’s failure.
If rejected or vetoed, the LSA must prepare and submit a 2nd bill containing proposed congressional and legislative plans within 35 days of the 1st bill’s failure or veto. The advisory commission is not required to hold hearings beyond the 1st plan. The General Assembly must vote on the new bill without amendment within 7 days of its submission. If the bill is rejected or vetoed, the LSA must prepare and submit a 3rd bill of proposed plans within 35 days of the 2nd bill’s failure or veto and “sufficiently in advance” of September 1 of years ending in 1. The General Assembly must vote on the new bill without amendment within 7 days of its submission.
The General Assembly must complete redistricting by September 1 of years ending in 1. If legislative plans are not adopted by September 15 of years ending in 1, the Iowa Supreme Court must adopt legislative plans by December 31 of that year. [Iowa Const. art. III, § 35; Iowa Code §§ 42.3, 42.5, 42.6]
Redistricting Criteria:
Map Challenges: Filed in the Iowa Supreme Court. Any qualified voter can file an application for review of an enacted redistricting plan’s compliance with the Iowa Constitution. Within 90 days of the Court’s invalidation of a plan, the Court must adopt a plan or cause one to be adopted. [Iowa Const. art. III, § 36]
Types of Measures: Only the Iowa General Assembly can refer amendments to the ballot. There is no initiative or referendum process. [Iowa Const. art. X]
2020
2010
2000
Current districts for Iowa by chamber, shaded by the incumbent’s party.
To view past district shapefiles, see our Map Archive Page.
