population. (2) Factors prohibited from consideration In developing the redistricting plan for the State, the independent redistricting commission may not take into consideration any of the following factors, except to the extent necessary to comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965: (A) The political party affiliation or voting history of the population of a district. (B) The residence of any Member of the House of Representatives or candidate. (b) Public notice and input (1) Use of open and transparent process The independent redistricting commission of a State shall hold each of its meetings in public, shall solicit and take into consideration comments from the public throughout the process of developing the redistricting plan for the State, and shall carry out its duties in an open and transparent manner which provides for the widest public dissemination reasonably possible of its proposed and final redistricting plans. (2) Website The commission shall maintain a public Internet site which is not affiliated with or maintained by the office of any elected official and which includes the following features: (A) General information on the commission and its members, including contact information. (B) An updated schedule of commission hearings and activities, including deadlines for the submission of comments. (C) All draft redistricting plans developed by the commission under subsection (c) and the final redistricting plan developed under subsection (d). (D) Live streaming of commission hearings and an archive of previous meetings and other commission records. (E) A method by which members of the public may submit comments directly to the commission. (F) Access to the demographic data used by the commission to develop the proposed redistricting plans, together with any software used to draw maps of proposed districts. (3) Public comment period The commission shall solicit, accept, and consider comments from the public with respect to its duties, activities, and procedures at any time during the period— (A)