H.R. 7219 — FAIR MAP Act

This section establishes requirements for a state's congressional districts, applicable to districts established on or after enactment. Such districts must (1) consist of contiguous territory (except to the extent necessary to include any area surrounded by a body of water); (2) be as compact in form as practicable; (3) not be drawn to discourage competition or to favor or disfavor an incumbent, candidate, or political party, while considering cores of existing districts, pre-existing political subdivisions (e.g., counties, cities, towns), and communities of interest; and (4) have populations that, to the extent practicable, do not vary from each other, as determined by the total count of U.S. citizens and aliens with lawful status under the immigration laws (as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101) from the most recent decennial census.

This section prohibits a state that has redistricted congressional districts under state law following an apportionment under 2 U.S.C. 2a from conducting another redistricting until after the next apportionment, unless required by a court to comply with the Constitution, enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965, or comply with the FAIR MAP Act. (Thus, redistricting is generally limited to once per decade following each decennial census-based apportionment.)

This section requires the Census Bureau, for the 2030 decennial census and each thereafter, to include on any census questionnaire a checkbox or similar option for respondents to indicate whether they and each household member is a U.S. citizen or an alien with lawful status under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101). It excludes aliens without lawful status from the total number of persons used to apportion Representatives among the states (pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 2a(a)) and to allocate electoral votes, effective for apportionments following the 2030 census and subsequent censuses. (Thus, only citizens and aliens with lawful status will be counted for determining each state's 435 House seats and presidential electors.)

This section requires that any challenge to congressional districts established by a state be brought in a U.S. district court, notwithstanding any other provision of law, for districts established on or after the date of enactment.

This section prohibits states from using ranked choice voting—under which voters rank candidates by order of preference—in elections for federal office by (1) inserting new section 305 into subtitle A of title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), (2) redesignating existing sections 305 and 306 as sections 306 and 307, respectively, (3) amending the enforcement provision (52 U.S.C. 21111) to authorize the Attorney General to bring civil actions to enforce the new requirement alongside existing requirements under sections 303 and 304, and (4) making conforming changes to the table of contents. The amendments apply to elections held on or after the date of enactment. (As background, subtitle A of HAVA title III establishes uniform and nondiscriminatory standards for election technology and administration, enforceable by the Department of Justice.)

This section requires individuals voting in person in elections for Federal office to present a valid photo identification card issued by a Federal, State, or Tribal government. It further requires ballots cast other than in person in such elections after November 3, 2026, to be accompanied by a signed card or envelope with a signature matching the individual's signature in the computerized statewide voter registration list.

This section clarifies that nothing in this Act affects the manner in which a State carries out elections for State or local office, including the process by which a State establishes the districts used in such elections.