General Law Cities Required Criteria

General Law Cities Required Criteria

CITIES INCLUDE:  Coalinga, Kerman, Reedley, Sanger, Selma 

Clovis currently votes at large but is considering transitioning to district lines.

 

TIME FRAME FOR REDISTRICTING

No earlier than August 1, 2021;no later than E-174 if the next election is before July 1, 2022;no later than E-205 if next election is July 1 2022 or later.

CA Election Code, section 21602 and 21608.

 

 

CRITERIA APPLIED TO DRAWING DISTRICT LINES

  1. Equal Population of each district required Voting Rights Act & California Voting Rights Act must be followed. Population is adjusted to count incarcerated people at their home address not their prison address

    Then the following in order of priority:

  2. Geographic Contiguity to the extent practicable. Areas that meet only at the points of adjoining corners are not contiguous. Areas that are separated by water and not connected by a bridge, tunnel, or regular ferry service are not contiguous.

  3. Communities of Interest Preservation to the extent practicable. A "community of Interest" is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single supervisorial district for purposes of its effective and fair representation.

  4. Geographic Integrity of a city or census designated place shall be respected to the extent practicable.

  5. Geographic Compactness should be encouraged to the extent practicable, where it doesn't conflict with previous criteria, and in a manner to ensure that nearby areas of population are not bypassed in favor of more distant populations.

  6. Easily Identifiable by Residents To the extend practicable, districts shall be bounded by natural and artificial barriers, including streets.

  7. Prohibit Favoritism No partisan favoritism or discrimination.

    CA Election Code, sections 21500, 21601, and 21621

HEARING & MAP REQUIREMENTS

  • At least four hearings are required. 

  • One hearing prior to issuing first draft map. 

  • Two hearings after draft map issued. 

  • One hearing or workshop on weekend or weeknight after 6 PM.  

  • Hearings must be accessible to people with disabilities.   

  • Hearing notices published five days beforehand; three days if election is less than 179 days away.  

  • Draft maps posted online seven days before adoption of final map; three days if election is less than 179 days away. 

  • If available, draft maps submitted by county/city must include total population, citizen voting age population (CVAP), and racial & ethnic characteristics of CVAP in each proposed district. 

  • Block level data from Statewide Database must be available for at least three weeks before release of any draft map; if the data is available for more than 59 days and less than 90 days, then this is reduced to one week.

OUTREACH

  • Board/Council's good faith outreach required to reach underrepresented and non-English speaking communities.

  • Disseminate info through media, good government, and community organizations, including those serving language minorities.

  • Live translation required if requested 72 hours in advance; or 48 hours if hearing is scheduled less than five days before notice.

  • Dedicated internet web page with info in English and any languages in which county is required to produce ballots. In-language requirements extended to languages spoken by residents with limited English proficiency who constitute 3 percent or more of the city’s total population. Must post explanation of process and opportunities for engagement, calendar, hearing notices, maps under consideration, and final map.

  • Public comment and map drafts may be submitted in writing or electronically and must be made publicly available.

    CA Election Code, sections 21607-21608 

Issues: 
Redistricting