What is Redistricting

What is redistricting?

Redistricting is the process of re-drawing electoral districts. This process occurs once every 10 years, following the US Census count, and the primary purpose is to ensure there are roughly the same number of people in each district. It is how we attempt to achieve "one person, one vote" representation throughout our nation. Redistricting occurs at all levels of government (from congressional districts to school board, water districts, city council, and more). Redistricting will determine how well we are able to leverage our collective votes to elect candidates of our choosing to represent us on the issues that matter most. 

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How does redistricting impact minority communities?

Until fairly recently, minority residents have often had little say in the creation of redistricting plans approved by the state legislature. As a result, in some instances, minority communities were divided up, fractured and placed into many different districts (known as "cracking"). In other instances, they were unnecessarily concentrated in a small number of districts, which prevents fair representation across a greater number of districts (known as "packing"). Since the 1980s and 1990s, we have seen progress that is largely attributable to the protections afforded by the Voting Rights Act and increased engagement of minority communities in the redistricting process.

Community members can testify at public hearings about proposed maps and provide feedback on the maps proposed by the official redistricting body and others. This is particularly important when proposed maps are detrimental to your community. A proposed map can be detrimental, for instance, if it fractures your community and prevents opportunities for your community to elect a candidate of choice.

Who will draw the lines?

Each state has its own rules for who will draw the lines. In most states, the State Legislature is still responsible for drawing their own districts. However, in California, voters passed California Proposition 11 in 2008, which took the power of drawing legislative districts away from legislators and placed it squarely in the hands of a new 14-member Citizen's Redistricting Commission. The commission was originally tasked with re-drawing state senate, assembly, and Board of Equalization districts. Later, in 2010, voters decided to extend the commission's role to include drawing congressional districts with the passage of Proposition 20. The purpose and intent of both propositions was to make redistricting a more transparent and public process, and to ensure fair lines for California's diverse populations.

For more information on the Commission, visit their official website: www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov.

Related Resources

Mapping Our Future: A Redistricting Presentation
Identifying Communities of Interest
Sample Script for Testifying
Meet the Commissioners
Redistricting PocketGuide