Redistricting Overview

What is Redistricting?

Redistricting is the process where district lines are redrawn ensuring every person will have equal representation by drawing districts with an equal number of people. Districts are based on total residents, not on voters.
Redistricting impacts all State and Local elected electors that representing districts. This includes Congress, State Board of Equalization, State Senate, State Assembly, County Boards of Supervisors, City Councils, School Boards, and Special District Boards.

How district lines are drawn influences who runs for public office and who is elected.
Elected representatives make decisions that are important to our lives, from ensuring safe schools to adopting immigration policies.
Who lives in a district can influence whether elected officials feel obligated to respond to a community’s needs.
The district boundaries are in place for the next ten years, and their policy impacts can last well beyond that.

Every ten years after the census count. The last census was taken in 2020. The results have been delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic until July 31, 2021. This change could have a significant effect on the timeline and process used to draw new maps.
States and local areas will have their own timelines for redrawing districts, based on when they get their census data and when the next set of elections are scheduled. Most jurisdictions will be doing their line drawing in the late summer and fall of 2021.
The body responsible for drawing the lines can – and probably should – begin gathering public input before the census data is released. The census data is not required to hear from the public about neighborhoods and natural boundaries.

Educate people about what redistricting is, why it matters, and how to get involved.
Advocate for more transparency and more representative districts.
Collaborate with other community-based organizations to increase engagement.