Redistricting Reform – CHANGE Illinois

Put simply, redistricting determines political power. Every 10 years, when U.S. Census data is released, political party leaders in Illinois draw federal, state, and local political boundaries. Rather than voters choosing their officials, these officials choose voters who are most likely to give them a political advantage on Election Day. This practice, known as gerrymandering, predetermines outcomes, increases polarization, and produces uncompetitive elections, career politicians, and governmental deadlock, all because politicians have little to no reason to fear the consequences of being thrown out of office. Illinois is a leading example of the harm that gerrymandering does to our democracy.

CHANGE leads the charge to establish a Chicago Redistricting Commission

In 2026, CHANGE Illinois and a coalition of community groups worked with Alderman Daniel La Spata to introduce an ordinance to establish a transparent, structured, public redistricting process for the Chicago City Council. The ordinance establishes a formal process for creating a Redistricting Commission during each City Council remapping cycle following the decennial U.S. Census. The Commission will be tasked with conducting an open and transparent process that allows for public input in the creation of new ward maps, thus ensuring the maps factor in communities of interest.

The ordinance is designed to ensure future remapping processes are driven by community participation and public accountability. Key provisions include requiring public meetings for proposed ward maps, ensuring geographic representation among Commissioners, opening the remapping records to the public, and establishing a clear process for City Council to approve a final map.

To learn more about the ordinance, see our explainer here.

Get involved in reform efforts

Road to Redistricting Reform

CHANGE Illinois is working toward a statewide movement to end gerrymandering through our Township Initiative. On the first Tuesday of April each year, Townships hold an annual meeting where residents can propose ballot questions by collecting 30 to 50 signatures and voting to add the question to the ballot at the annual meeting.

We have been working tirelessly over the last few years to build up support for fair maps through this process. In 2024, with the support of The League of Women Voters (Oak Park and Proviso chapters), we obtained the signatures, made it on the ballot, and the voters in these areas said yes to fair maps.

In 2026, we were able to support similar initiatives in Joliet and Oswego. These questions will be on the ballot in the November 2026 election in those townships.

In just the past few elections, voters in eight townships representing over 500,000 Illinoisans have voted on ballot measures to support fair maps. Our wins include:

Addison Township – 69% in support
Homer Township – 75% in support
Lemont Township – 79% in support
Palos Township – 78% in support
Peoria Township – 74% in support
Proviso Township – 74% in support
Rock Island Township – 70% in support

Help us grow our movement in 2026 by organizing in your local community!

To get involved with raising awareness in your community, sign up here.

The question
- “Should the State of Illinois adopt an independent commission for the federal and state redistricting process, that would be guided by principles established in fair maps initiatives?”
What it will mean
- This is a nonbinding question that helps organizers in your local community gauge public support and put pressure on policymakers to adopt a truly independent redistricting process for Illinois.
Important Dates
- Summer 2026: Confirm Townships for 2027 & launch effort
- April 2027: Annual Township meeting
- November 2027: The question is voted on in the Township

WATCH AN INFORMATION SESSION

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Putting an end to partisan gerrymandering is a cause that attracts support from Republicans, Democrats, and independents. Check out what former President Ronald Reagan had to say about redistricting reform:

Need a primer on redistricting? Check out CHANGE Illinois’ presentation ‘Everything you Need to Know About Redistricting’:

Past initiatives for redistricting reform

“We draw the lines” community-mapping drive

In 2021, we partnered with Representable.org to empower people in communities all over Illinois to advocate for themselves.

Learn more about being involved in the community-mapping drive here.

2021 Chicago ward remap effort

CHANGE Illinois led an effort to call for an end to back-room deals to draw Chicago’s wards. CHANGE Illinois, along with diverse partner community groups and advocates, spearheaded the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission, a resident-led independent commission – without ties to city government or alders.

Watch highlights from our press conference calling for an end to the back-room deals below.

End Prison Gerrymandering

CHANGE Illinois and a coalition of organizations successfully drafted and passed legislation to end the practice of prison gerrymandering in 2021. Previously, those who are incarcerated, at the time of the census, were counted in the prisons where they are held rather than in their home communities. This practice, known as prison gerrymandering, skews representation away from urban areas and toward rural areas and takes representation and political power away for Black and Brown communities.

Black and Brown people make up a disproportionately higher percentage of people who are incarcerated. Counting people at a prison address perpetuates the false notion that those who are incarcerated are treated as legitimate constituents in those districts. In Illinois, political districts last for 10 years, but many felony convictions only carry a total sentencing time range of between .64 to 2.21 years.

Stopping the practice of prison gerrymandering is an essential step to racial equity in Illinois.

End Gerrymandering Statewide

More than 30 organizations in our Illinois Redistricting Collaborative have worked together to draft the “Fair Maps Amendment” (FMA) to end gerrymandering statewide. The 2020 proposal included key improvements to increase representation and end the practice of prison gerrymandering. Sponsored by Democrats and Republicans in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, the Fair Maps Amendment would have changed the redistricting process to end gerrymandering by:

Removing politicians and sitting legislators from drawing their own districts
Establishing an independent redistricting commission that must be demographically, politically, and geographically representative of our state to draw our congressional and Illinois General Assembly maps
Protecting the constitutional rights of people in communities of color to elect a representative of their choosing
Adding sunlight and transparency by requiring the release of all communications made by the commission as well as any data used to create and propose any and all maps
Giving the public the opportunity to participate in the process by requiring at least 30 public hearings on the maps before a final vote is taken

Check out our Fair Maps Amendment Fact Sheet here.

If three-fifths of the members of both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly voted to adopt the amendment, voters would have had the final say at the ballot box to pass the FMA and create a fair map-making process for the future.

The people of Illinois overwhelmingly support redistricting reform. A 2020 poll commissioned by CHANGE Illinois found 75 percent of Illinois voters want an independent commission to draw political districts. Previously, an independent poll by the SIU’s Paul Simon Institute found that 67 percent of Illinois voters wanted an independent commission to draw our legislative lines. Residents across the state understand competitive elections are critical to holding politicians accountable and ensuring the people truly are in control of their government.

While this initiative did not pass, we continue to fight for maps that represent the community fairly and equitably.