Redistricting, 2011League of California Cities

What is Redistrictingdefinition

Redistricting is the process of drawing district lines. It is done every 10 years after the release of the US Census. The well known examples are Congress and the legislature.

Cities, Counties, School Boards, Water Boards… All elected bodies do redistricting.

Reapportionment is the process of assigning congressional seats to states.

What is Redistricting?the Gerrymander

The term Gerrymander came from a cartoon depicting a rather serpentine looking district created by Governor Elbrige Gerry in Massachusetts.

What is Redistrictingthe Gerrymander

There are legislative linesthat look a lot likethe original Gerrymander!

What is RedistrictingWhy should anyone care?

What is RedistrictingWhy should anyone care?

What is RedistrictingWhy should anyone care?

What is RedistrictingFederal VRA and State CVRA

Districting is the creation of areas, wards or districts where all voters in that area select their representative.

VRA is the Federal Voting Rights Act which oversees all election systems, including redistricting.

CVRA is the California Voting Rights Act – it pushes most at-large systems into districted elections based on an analysis of populations and voting patterns.

Traditional Redistricting PrinciplesShould be followed by Community College Districts

There are a number of criteria that have been used nationally and upheld by courts.

• Relatively equal size - people, not citizens• Contiguous – districts should not hop/jump• Maintain communities of interest• Follow city/county/local government lines• Keep districts compact – appearance/function• Preserving voter choices (incumbents)

Creating districts of equal sizeBasic reason for redistricting

A basic rule of redistrictingis one-person / one-vote.

Democratic principle whichin redistricting meansdistricts should haveminimal variation.

Creating districts of equal sizeSome have major variations

In this sample from a California Community College, the variation between the smallest and largest ward is 56% from the mean.

Communities of InterestKeeping similar voters together

Generally thought of as:• Race / Ethnicity• Socioeconomic• Language• Religious

Communities of InterestKeeping similar voters together

Generally thought of as:• Race / Ethnicity• Socioeconomic• Language• Religious

Can also include:• Issues• Voting patterns• Workforce

Communities of InterestKeeping similar voters together

California has self-sorted based on race, ethnicity as well as political views, household type, other values.

Communities of InterestKeeping similar voters together

California has self-sorted based on race, ethnicity as well as political views, household type, other values.

This is seen statewide as well as within individual cities.

Looking at City ChangesPasadena – Still waters mask turbulence

Overall the City of Pasadena has had relatively flat growth

2000: 133,5002010: 137,000

Looking at City ChangesPasadena – Still waters mask turbulence

However growth has been uneven, with the Green areas under the 210 Fwy gaining up to 28% in growth, while the red portion above 210 Fwy lost up to 12%.

Looking at City ChangesPasadena – Still waters mask turbulence

The City of Pasadena also has significant ethnic populations….

AsianLatinoAfrican American Armenian

Looking at City ChangesPasadena – Still waters mask turbulence

The City of Pasadena also has significant ethnic populations….

AsianLatinoAfrican American Armenian

Looking at City ChangesPasadena – Still waters mask turbulence

The City of Pasadena also has significant ethnic populations….

AsianLatinoAfrican American Armenian

Looking at City ChangesPasadena – Still waters mask turbulence

The City of Pasadena also has significant ethnic populations….

AsianLatinoAfrican American Armenian

Looking at City ChangesPasadena Example

In some areas the growth and losses of different populations has reshaped the city, while overall population has appeared stable.

Asian (-6% to +189%)LatinoAfrican American

Looking at City ChangesPasadena Example

In some areas the growth and losses of different populations has reshaped the city, while overall population has appeared stable.

AsianLatino (-15 to +65%)African American

Looking at City ChangesPasadena Example

In some areas thegrowth and losses ofdifferent populations has reshaped the city,while overallpopulation hasappeared stable.

AsianLatinoAfrican American (-46% to + 44%)

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission

The State redistricting process has been transformed by Propositions 11 and 20 which have applied traditional redistricting principles – plus eliminated consideration of partisan advantage or candidate/incumbent residence.

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission

Commission is charged with creating:

80 Assembly DistrictsNested into 40 Senate DistrictsNested into 4 BOE seats

53 Congressional Seats

177 seats, draft plans by June 10th, Final Plans by August 15th.

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission

Organizations and individuals are drafting plans, and finding that it isn’t as easy as they thought!

Cook Political ReportCongressional Plan

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission

One significant challenge is the Voting Rights Act, which will protect a number of districts from the other commission rules.

Cook Political ReportCongressional Plan

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission

An area like this can look like a mess – and it seems anyone could fix these districts.

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission

But the VRA will lock in a number of these seemingly gerrymandered seats.

They will be redrawn, but cannot have their ethnic population retrogressed.

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission

The Commission Process is also going to make tough decisions even harder to make.

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission

Looking at State ChangesNew Commission