Delimitation Equity Project Resource Guide - IFES

Delimitation Equity Project
Delimitation Prompts
The majority (57 percent) of countries in our study that delimit electoral districts have
established some mandatory time interval within which delimitation must occur.
Although there is no standard time period, the range of intervals for delimitation is not
particularly large. The Seychelles requires the delimitation of new constituency
boundaries as often as every three years if necessary. On the other hand, France
requires the delimitation of electoral districts only every 12 to 14 years.
The following chart illustrates the number of countries that have instituted set time
intervals and what the prescribed time period is:
Figure 1.1 Set Time Intervals
Number of Countries
20
15
10
5
0
4 years or
less
5 to 8
years
9 or 10
years
more than
10 years
Maximum Time Interval Between
Delimitations
The most popular choice for periodic delimitation appears to be ten years: Botswana,
Canada, India, Japan, Kenya Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, the United States, and Yemen all have
electoral laws or constitutional provisions requiring delimitation at least every ten years
(in the case of Botswana, the requirement is every five to ten years; in Kenya, the law
dictates that delimitation occur every eight to ten years).
Kenya: Delimitation Prompts
At intervals of not less than eight and not more than ten years, and whenever directed by Act of
Parliament, the Commission shall review the number, the boundaries and the names of the
constituencies into which Kenya is divided, and may, by order, alter the number, the boundaries,
or the names, subject to and in accordance with this section, to the extent that it considers
desirable in the light of the review.
Kenya Constitution, 1992, Section 42 (4)
Albania, Bahamas, Fiji, New Zealand, Turkey, and Zimbabwe redraw their electoral
districts every five years. Australia delimits at least every seven years. 16 Ireland is
16 There are three situations that can trigger a redistribution in Australia: (1) when seven years have elapsed
since the State or Territory was last redistributed; (2) when there is a change in the number of members of
the House of Representatives to be chosen from the State or Territory, as determined approximately two
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