Pennsylvania State Senator Jake Corman, President pro tempore of the State Senate, says that the state may need to postpone its 2022 primary. Under current law, it is set for May 17, 2022. See this story. The reason is that the census data won’t be delivered to the states until the end of September 2021, and redistricting is a lengthy process that may not be finished by February 2022, when primary petitions are due. Obviously no one can petition before the district boundaries are known.
There are certain states in which it never seems to occur to legislators that petitioning is not necessary. A majority of states have no mandatory primary petitions, but in the minority of states in which petitioning to get on a primary ballot is traditional, no one seems to notice that most states get along without primary petitions.
In Minnesota, primary candidates need a petition only to waive the filing fee.
Once the Congress has reapportioned House seats among the states, geographical districting or re-districting is unnecessary. Districts or congressional constituencies simply need to be composed of no more than maximum equal number of eligible voters – say, 100,000. Eligible citizens can then register to vote in any of the constituencies by ranked choice up to the maximum. Geography becomes irrelevant.
Note that person seeking election to Congress does not have to reside in any particular geographical area to be elected for that district/constituency. Voters should have the same right to choose a constituency as do the candidates.
If there is to be any packing or cracking for partisan advantage persuade voters to do it instead of compelling it.
PR for ALL legislative bodies.
BOTH REAL majority rule and minority representation.