According to the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission, these are the requirements for drawing the maps that outline the borders for each state House and Senate district:

• Have equal population, as required by the U.S. Constitution, with a population deviation of no more than 5 percent between the most populous and the least populous district in each chamber;
• Be composed of contiguous geographic areas;
• Comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended;
• Preserve whole communities of interest and whole political subdivisions, such as counties, cities, and towns; however, a division of a county, city, city and county, or town is permitted where a community of interest’s legislative issues are more essential to the fair and effective representation of residents of the district. When the commission divides a county, city, city and county, or town, it shall minimize the number of divisions of that county, city, city and county, or town;
• Be as compact as is reasonably possible; and thereafter;
• Maximize the number of politically competitive districts.

Districts cannot be drawn for the purpose of:

• Protecting incumbents in or declared candidates for the Colorado General Assembly or any political party; or
• Denying or abridging the right of any citizen to vote on account of that person’s race or membership in a language minority group, including diluting the impact of that racial or language minority group’s electoral influence.