The authors of Prop 11, which creates a new commission to draw lines for state legislative and board of equalization districts, wanted to keep politics out of the process. How far did they go?

Below is a list. Some of the items on the list, if they were true statements about you, would disqualify you from serving on the new redistricting commission. Other statements on the list, if true, would not disqualify you.

You can apply on-line to be a member of the commission beginning December 15.

First is a statement. Then an explanation of whether it’s disqualifying:

            "You were an independent voter who changed her registration in 2007 so you could vote for your friend Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential primary."

DISQUALIFYING: According to Prop 11, changing your party affiliation is a no-no. "Each commission member shall be a voter who has been continuously registered in California with the same political party or unaffiliated with a political party and who has not changed political party affiliation for five or more years immediately preceding the date of his or her appointment."

            "You've been registered to vote in California for 15 years but your military unit was posted to Afghanistan in the fall of 2004 and the fall of 2008, and you didn't vote in those statewide general elections."

DISQUALIFYING, because you voted in only one of the last three statewide general elections. "Each commission member shall have voted in two of the last three statewide general elections immediately preceding his or her application."

            "You smoke weed at least three times a day, without a valid doctor's permission, but no one's noticed."

NOT DISQUALIFYING.

            "You've never worked in politics or government, but you took advantage of an opportunity and put your name on the recall ballot in 2003, along with 134 other people, so you could promote your new brand of beer."

DISQUALIFYING. You may not have been a candidate for state office within 10 years of joining the commission.

            "You are between the ages of 18 and 22."

DISQUALIFYING. The requirement that you've been registered to vote for five years effectively disqualifies anyone who isn't at least 23.

            "Your husband's sister used to work two days a week as a secretary answering phones in a Republican party office in Fresno."

DISQUALIFYING, because Prop 11 says you can't be on the commission if any member of your immediate family - which includes "parents, children, siblings and in-laws" - has been a paid employee of a political party.

            "You're a 28-year-old Republican hedge fund analyst with a color-coordinated closet. But, when you were a shaggy-haired, 19-year-old college dropout, you had a summer job your girlfriend's father got you working in the office of a Democratic Congressman. (You spent your wages on beer and a fake ID.)"

DISQUALIFYING, because you cannot, in the last 10 years, have served as paid congressional staff.

            "You're a liberal, gay West Hollywood salon owner who, during a time when business was slow, signed a contract to handle make-up and hair for Republican candidates when they came to LA to tape TV appearances."

DISQUALIFYING. To be on the commission, you may not have served as a paid consultant to a party or any candidate for elected office.

            "You were a top state senator who was termed out of office in 1996 but you haven't had anything at all to do with politics or government since."

NOT DISQUALIFYING. As long as you and all your "immediate family" have had nothing to do with government or politics for more than 10 years, you're free and clear.

            "You're a registered Republican in Orange County who has never had anything to do with politics or government, but your youngest son, whom you want to take out of the will, wrote a check for $2,000 to Nancy Pelosi's campaign last year.

DISQUALIFYING. To be on the commission, no member of your immediate family, including your children, may have contributed to $2,000 or more "to any congressional, state, or local candidate for elective public office" in the past 10 years.

            "Your oldest sister, who has 12 cats and with whom you share ownership in an old family lake cabin, retired from her accounting job and spends her days lobbying her local city council on behalf of an animal shelter."

DISQUALIFYING. No member of your family may have "been a registered federal, state, or local lobbyist" within the past 10 years.

            "You're a highly partisan Democratic computer programmer who has never been involved in politics but happens to write  advanced mapping software that could be used for drawing districts."

            NOT DISQUALIFYING but one hopes that this fellow would be weeded out by the Applicant Review Panel, which must select the 60 most qualified people from among those who apply, or by legislative leaders, who can knock out a couple of candidates from the pool.