Reuters: How the battle over redistricting in 2021 could decide control of the U.S. Congress

(Reuters) – With the rancorous 2020 U.S. election now over, Democrats and Republicans are girding for another national political battle with enormous stakes: redistricting.

The once-a-decade process of redrawing electoral maps can determine which party controls Congress. Though Democrats hold power in Washington, Republicans have the redistricting advantage heading into 2021. …

The biggest immediate concern is a months-long delay in the release of census data due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, officials said states would not receive detailed figures until September. …

Some good government groups are worried the delay could lead to more extreme gerrymandering, since it would leave little time for any legal challenges to make their way through the courts before the 2022 elections in November. …

Another difference this year: Voters in several states, including Colorado, Michigan, New York and Virginia, approved the creation of redistricting commissions designed to lessen partisanship, though they have varying degrees of autonomy.

Those ballot initiatives reflect a growing public awareness of redistricting, as reform groups, particularly on the left, have spent years mobilizing grassroots efforts in response to Republican gerrymandering in 2011. The backroom deals that marked redistricting a decade ago may be harder to effectuate in 2021.

“Up until recently, redistricting has been obscure, but also obscured – intentionally so,” said Kathay Feng, national redistricting director for the good government group Common Cause. “That curtain is coming down.”