; Contractors (1) Staff Under a public application process in which all application materials are available for public inspection, the independent redistricting commission of a State under this title shall appoint and set the pay of technical experts, legal counsel, consultants, and such other staff as it considers appropriate, subject to State law. (2) Contractors The independent redistricting commission of a State may enter into such contracts with vendors as it considers appropriate, subject to State law, except that any such contract shall be valid only if approved by the vote of a majority of the members of the commission, including at least one member appointed from each of the categories of the approved selection pool described in section 512(b)(1). (3) Goal of impartiality The commission shall take such steps as it considers appropriate to ensure that any staff appointed under this subsection, and any vendor with whom the commission enters into a contract under this subsection, will work in an impartial manner. (d) Preservation of records The State shall ensure that the records of the independent redistricting commission are retained in the appropriate State archive in such manner as may be necessary to enable the State to respond to any civil action brought with respect to congressional redistricting in the State. 512. Establishment of selection pool of individuals eligible to serve as members of commission (a) Criteria for Eligibility (1) In general An individual is eligible to serve as a member of an independent redistricting commission under this title if the individual meets each of the following criteria: (A) As of the date of appointment, the individual is registered to vote in elections for Federal office held in the State. (B) During the 3-year period ending on the date of the individual’s appointment, the individual has been continuously registered to vote with the same political party, or has not been registered to vote with any political party. (C) The individual submits to the nonpartisan