A panel of six judges has redrawn the state's 34 Senate districts and 163 House districts. The Missouri Appellate Apportionment Commission released a statement and a map of the state with the completely redrawn districts.
Here is a look at the commission's work.
* Each district is supposed to have nearly the same population. From the greatest population to the smallest, there is a deviation of 7.46 percent in Senate districts and 7.8 percent in House districts.
* Candidates for office can start filing Feb. 28, 2012, in the new districts. Some races will have two incumbent office holders will be running against each other.
* Many districts gained population while others shrank. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports six judges were appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court after a bipartisan commission appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon failed to come up with a compromise for the new districts.
* Boundaries must be redrawn every 10 years because of the U.S. Census. The Missouri Constitution mandates districts must be redone to show population shifts.
* Four of the new Senate districts have African American majorities. Sixteen of the House districts are also apportioned this way.
* Two House districts were formed in areas where other racial minorities combine with African Americans to form a majority.
* Republicans and Democrats couldn't agree on a map. The commission took ideas from the General Assembly's map as well as coming up with ideas on their own.
* The first primary election for the new districts will be Aug. 7, 2012. Candidates have until March 27, 2012 to file their intentions to run for office.
* KOLR television in Springfield, Mo., reports even though the map was drawn by judges, citizens may still file lawsuits challenging the new districts. When districts were drawn after the 2000 election, a panel of six judges had to step in when both parties could not agree on a new apportionment.
* New districts often overlap into old ones. Others may have gotten bigger while others shrank. Legislators can run for office based upon the districts in which they live. When lines are redrawn, sometimes office holders have no choice but run against a fellow incumbent. Others may have completely new names running to represent their district in Jefferson City.
* To run for a House seat, you must be at least 24 years old, a qualified voter in Missouri for two years and you must have lived in the district you represent for one year.
* To qualify for a Senate position, you must be at least 30 years old and a qualified voter in Missouri for three years. Residency requirements are the same in the Senate districts as they are in the House--you have to live in your district for a year.
William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.
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