Proposal for bipartisan redistricting panel advances

RICHMOND

Bills that would establish a bipartisan commission to draw boundaries during next year's redistricting and relax the rules for military members voting by absentee ballot advanced out of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee Tuesday.

The redistricting measure sponsored by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, would establish a temporary seven-member panel to define legislative district maps in 2011.

Its aim is to reduce the inherent partisanship of Virginia's redistricting process - new maps are created every decade after a census - often yields districts that protect majority-party incumbents.

Gov. Bob McDonnell has expressed support for bipartisan redistricting, though many House Republicans remain opposed to it.

Also gaining approval from the panel was legislation from Sen. Stephen Martin, R-Chesterfield County, that would require absentee ballots to be available 45 days before an election to provide ample time for them to be shipped to voters and returned.

Martin's bill also would extend the deadline for receipt of returned ballots up to two days before a vote total is certified, which typically occurs a few weeks after an election. At present, only ballots received by the close of business on Election Day can be counted.