Redistricting efforts increase after release of census data

State and local governments across the nation are ramping up their efforts for the decennial activity of redrawing representative districts, using the most recent population and demographic data from the 2020 Census.

These redistricting efforts will affect elections slated for 2022.

Even as preliminary figures from the Census are being released, a number of redistricting projects have begun in California and locally. State law requires opportunities for public participation in this process.

The federal Voting Rights Act and the California Voting Rights Act must be followed as part of the criteria to drawing district lines.

A newer state law, the Fair Maps Act, created standardized redistricting criteria

aimed at keeping communities together and prohibiting partisan gerrymandering. The Act also expanded community outreach and public hearing requirements and timelines, which coincide with the state redistricting schedule.

At the state level, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission is tasked with drawing the boundaries for state and Congressional offices.

The Commission has been holding public meetings with various communities across the state. The next meeting focusing on the Southern California region will be at 3 p.m., Sept. 8, and is available virtually.

The Commission has added the data collected so far from its public meetings to its website.

The Commission is expected to submit its final maps to the Secretary of State by February.

Information on the state redistricting process, including meetings and data collected from communities so far, may be found at WeDrawtheLinesCA.org

Locally, Los Angeles and Kern counties have their redistricting efforts underway.

The Los Angeles County Citizens Redistricting Commission has 14 members selected last year, independent of the Board of Supervisors. It is tasked with redrawing the County’s five supervisorial districts base on the new population figures to distribute population as evenly as possible.

Meetings and public hearings on specific districts are held virtually until further notice. Public comment is accepted at all meetings.

The next regular meeting scheduled is 7 p.m., Sept. 14.

The Commission recently released free software that may be used by individuals or community groups to create their own district map to submit to the Commission for consideration. A training session for the software will be held, on Sept. 9, via Zoom.

Information is available on the Commission’s website, redistricting.lacounty.gov

Kern County has begun a series of public hearings and community workshops to solicit public input on the redistricting process. The next public meeting will be at 6 p.m., on Sept. 7.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to discuss adoption of district boundaries at its Nov. 16 meeting.

Visit kerncounty.com for information on Kern County’s redistricting process.

The City of Palmdale is also reviewing its four Council districts.

Palmdale transitioned to by-district Council elections in November 2016, in which the four council members are elected by voters from within the district they reside. The mayor is elected by voters citywide.

An 11-member Advisory Redistricting Commission was appointed by members of the City Council in June. It is tasked with reviewing data from the 2020 Census and, if necessary, adjusting the boundaries of the four Council districts to keep them as equal in population as possible. They will then recommend boundaries to the City Council for adoption.

The first public hearing on the process is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., on Sept. 14, in the Council Chambers.

Community workshops in the individual districts will follow in October.

Written testimony or maps may be submitted to redistrict2021@cityofpalmdale.org

Information regarding the redistricting process is available at DrawPalmdale.org

The City of Lancaster does not elect its Council members by district; all are at-large members elected by citywide vote.