Overview
- Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters she remains open to a constitutional amendment that would allow mid‑decade redistricting but she did not commit to advancing the measure immediately, a position reported Tuesday by multiple outlets.
- State lawmakers gave preliminary approval to the amendment in June and Democrats will control two‑thirds majorities in both chambers starting in January, which would allow the Legislature to vote again next year as the constitution requires.
- If the Legislature reapproves the amendment in the next session, the measure would go to New York voters in a statewide referendum, which could appear on the ballot as soon as November 2027.
- The proposal would remove New York’s current ban on partisan gerrymandering and let lawmakers override or bypass the bipartisan redistricting commission that now redraws maps once every 10 years.
- Opponents say the change would let Democrats entrench power and plan legal and ballot fights while supporters point to Republican mid‑decade maps in other states as the reason to seek the option to respond in future elections; the history includes a rejected 2021 ballot proposal and court rulings that have struck down past maps.