Even so, hope springs eternal among those who would like to see something done about the otherwise purely partisan process used to draw electoral districts, even if no alternative provides perfect results.

A decision by Senior District Judge Robert Estes on Wednesday will have the likely effect of keeping the new legislative district maps — which favor Democrats — in place for the 2022 election.

Analyses of the shifts in population totals reveal population drops in rural districts represented by Republicans and increases in urban ones represented by Democrats.

Of the 63 newly drawn districts, only four place incumbents against one another. Almost half of those eight incumbents, however, are either termed out or not planning on running for reelection.

Experts warn that district drawing is not destiny, and while Republicans will now face more of an uphill battle under the new maps, it doesn't necessarily mean that Nevada will lose swing state status.

The bill, SB1, already passed on party lines in the Senate and is expected to be signed by the governor in spite of complaints from Republicans that it skews maps too far in favor of Democrats.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Sisolak confirmed that the governor plans to sign the bill into law, calling them "fair maps that represent Nevada's diversity and reflect public feedback."

All Republicans voted against the measure, which makes three of the state's congressional districts lean toward Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro defended the arrangement.

Opposition to the proposed maps came from Republican lawmakers, upset at the prospect of a decade-long stay in the political wilderness, and advocates who said the maps divide many communities of interest.

The move addresses data gaps advocates warned could lead to an imbalance of power between rural and urban communities and place the state in violation of a 2019 state ban on a practice known as "prison gerrymandering."

The maps divide the Latino population across the four districts, leaving lower concentrations of Latinos in each district and potentially making it more difficult for Latinos to collectively elevate candidates they believe represent their community.

The special session, predicted to last at least five days, got off to a slow start — short floor sessions, a non-controversial hearing on revising Board of Regent districts, a brief procedural fight over rules and the swearing in of a new state senator.

The new boundaries would give 14 of the 21 state Senate districts and 27 of the 42 Assembly districts a voter registration advantage for Democrats over Republicans of more than 4.5 percent.

Community leaders note the growth of Nevada's minority populations and say that new district maps must reflect the state's increasing diversity.

The Thursday announcement gives state lawmakers less than a day to pack their bags and head up to Carson City. Officials hope to have the process wrapped up in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The proposed maps would make all three of the congressional districts that include at least part of Clark County tilt toward Democrats. Each encompasses an area that Biden won by between 6 and 8 percentage points in the 2020 election. 

As state lawmakers embark on the decennial process of redrawing Nevada's major political boundaries, they face the monumental task of creating districts that ensure equal representation for residents.

Threats, lobbying, accusations of tyranny, dealmaking and eventually litigation are all part and parcel of Nevada's redistricting process.

Nevada is about to embark on the once-a-decade process of drawing new boundaries for political districts in the state. Here are five reasons it matters.