Delimitation Equity Project Resource Guide - IFES

Delimitation Equity Project
Entities with a Role in the Delimitation Process
Designation of a Boundary Authority
During the nineteenth century, in Europe and in self-governing European colonies
around the world, the drawing of constituency boundaries was the responsibility of the
legislature. Partisan politics and gerrymandering were more often than not a normal
element of the delimitation process. 7 But in most consolidated democracies, the idea
that politicians are best excluded from the delimitation process has emerged, and
legislators have opted out, handing the process over to independent commissions.
Today, a substantial majority of countries employ an election commission or a
specifically designated boundary commission to delimit constituency boundaries. Of the
60 countries in our survey that delimit electoral districts, 43 (73 percent) assign the
responsibility for constituency delimitation to an election management body or to a
boundary commission specially formed for the purpose of constituency delimitation.
Boundary Commissions
Britain probably pioneered the commission approach to electoral district delimitation
several generations ago, although it may no longer provide the best (or at least the most
efficient) example of redistribution by an independent boundary commission. 8 Most of
the major democracies once ruled by the United Kingdom have followed suit and
adopted boundary (or delimitation) commissions: Australia, New Zealand, and Canada,
as well as many of the Caribbean countries (i.e., Bahamas, Barbados, St. Lucia and St.
Vincent and the Grenadines). Several Anglophone African countries (i.e., Botswana,
Namibia and Zimbabwe) have also adopted boundary commissions for delimiting
constituencies. In total, 22 of the 60 countries that delimit constituencies assign the task
to a commission specifically established for that purpose.
Composition of Boundary Commissions Boundary commissions tend to be relatively
small in size, ranging from three to seven or nine members. Canada, for example, has
three-member commissions, the United Kingdom has four-member commissions, and a
number of Caribbean countries have five-member commissions (e.g., Bahamas,
Barbados). New Zealand and Germany each have seven-member commissions;
Albania has a nine-member commission.
The commissions often include non-partisan (non-political) public officials with
backgrounds in election administration, geography, and statistics. In Australia, New
Zealand, and the United Kingdom, for example, the commissions incorporate electoral
officers or registrar-generals, as well as the Director of Ordnance Survey (United
Kingdom) and the Surveyor-General (Australia and New Zealand). Statisticians have an
important role on Australian commissions because population projections are used to
draw electoral district boundaries. In Canada, academics knowledgeable about
elections and/or geography may be asked to serve on boundary commissions.
7 Gerrymandering refers to the practice of drawing of electoral district boundaries to deliberately favor one
political party or special interest group over others.
8 Other terms used for delimitation of electoral districts include redistribution (the United Kingdom and
some Commonwealth countries) and redistricting (the United States).
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