A coalition of voting-rights groups is sponsoring a contest for Indiana residents to draw new maps for congressional and legislative election districts across the state.

The group All IN For Democracy said the contest is aimed at finding “fair” proposed election maps to present to state legislators before they vote in late September on the once-a-decade redistricting based on population shifts from the U.S. census.

Voting-rights activists have complained the Republican-dominated Legislature isn’t involving the public enough in the redistricting work and that partisan gerrymandering has helped Indiana Republicans gain outsized power in state government.

The House and Senate both voted Thursday in favor of a bill extending the current legal deadline for adjourning this year’s legislative session from April 29 until Nov. 15.

Legislative leaders say they plan to end this year’s regular session in the coming week and then bring all lawmakers back later in order to determine new congressional and General Assembly districts.

The redistricting data isn’t expected to be released by the Census Bureau until August, at the earliest. The legal deadline for turning in the redistricting data was March 31, but the Census Bureau said it needed more time because of operational delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb for consideration.

The House and Senate both voted Thursday in favor of a bill extending the current legal deadline for adjourning this year’s legislative session from April 29 until Nov. 15.

Legislative leaders say they plan to end this year’s regular session in the coming week and then bring all lawmakers back later in order to determine new congressional and General Assembly districts.

The redistricting data isn’t expected to be released by the Census Bureau until August, at the earliest. The legal deadline for turning in the redistricting data was March 31, but the Census Bureau said it needed more time because of operational delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb for consideration.

A coalition of voting-rights groups is sponsoring a contest for Indiana residents to draw new maps for congressional and legislative election districts across the state.

The group All IN For Democracy said the contest is aimed at finding “fair” proposed election maps to present to state legislators before they vote in late September on the once-a-decade redistricting based on population shifts from the U.S. census.

Voting-rights activists have complained the Republican-dominated Legislature isn’t involving the public enough in the redistricting work and that partisan gerrymandering has helped Indiana Republicans gain outsized power in state government.

The House and Senate both voted Thursday in favor of a bill extending the current legal deadline for adjourning this year’s legislative session from April 29 until Nov. 15.

Legislative leaders say they plan to end this year’s regular session in the coming week and then bring all lawmakers back later in order to determine new congressional and General Assembly districts.

The redistricting data isn’t expected to be released by the Census Bureau until August, at the earliest. The legal deadline for turning in the redistricting data was March 31, but the Census Bureau said it needed more time because of operational delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb for consideration.