Demarcation or delimitation is the drawing of boundaries, particularly of electoral precincts, states, counties or other municipalities. In the context of elections, it can be called redistribution and is used to avoid population imbalance between districts. Although there are no internationally agreed processes to ensure fair delineation, several organizations, such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Union, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, have proposed guidelines for effective delineation.
In international law, the corresponding national delimitation is the process of legally establishing the outer limits (“borders”) of a State within which full territorial or functional sovereignty is exercised. Occasionally this is used when referring to maritime boundaries as well, in this case called maritime delimitation.
Countries delimit electoral districts in different ways. Sometimes they are based on traditional boundaries, sometimes based on the physical characteristics of the region, and often the lines are drawn based on the social, political and cultural contexts of the area. This may need to be done in any form of electoral system even if it is done primarily for the plurality or majority electoral system.
These border delineation processes can have a variety of legal justifications. Often times, because of the powerful effects this process can have on constituencies, the legal framework for delimitation is specified in a country's constitution. The Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) recommends including the following information elements in this legal framework:
- The frequency of such determination.
- The criteria for such determination.
- The degree of public participation in the process.
- The respective roles of the legislature, the power judiciary and the executive in the process.
- The last authority for the final determination of the electoral units.
Standards have been established by various international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission), the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA). that its members are encouraged to prescribe norms, such as impartiality, equality, representativeness, non-discrimination and transparency.
