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 September 2021

Redistricting

Every 10 years, after the national census has been completed, Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly and State Board of Equalization districts are readjusted according to the population numbers in the current census. The Voters FIRST Act gave this power to California citizens. Changing the boundary lines of districts is a highly political activity. Borders can be adjusted so that a district leans much more heavily toward one party or the other. 

The California Redistricting Commission is made up of 14 citizens: five Democrats, five Republicans and four unaffiliated voters. They will draw the new district lines.

The first eight members of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission were randomly selected by July 2, 2020 from a list of remaining applicants delivered by the Legislature on June 26, 2020. The first eight members chose the final six members from the applicants that remained in the applicant pool on August 7, 2020. 

The United States Census was completed in 2020. The Redistricting Committee is currently working on drawing up new districts. Due to a loss in population, California has lost one congressional seat. That means that districts need to be bigger in order for all voters to have a congressional representative.

From September 30 to October 31, 2021 Census Data is expected to the Commission.

October – December 2021 - Public Input Meetings and Line Drawing Sessions.

November – December 2021 - Draft District Maps will be released.
December 2021 – January 2022 - Public Input Meetings and Line Drawing Sessions.
December 2021 – February 2022 -District Maps Released
December 2021 -  February 2022 - Final District Maps to the Secretary of State.

Dates will be updated on https://ballotpedia.org/Redistricting_in_California_after_the_2020_census once the census data are received and the Commission adopts the final schedule.​

Commissioners

       1.   Isra Ahmad,  San Jose, CA.

       2.   Linda Akutagawa,  Huntington Beach, CA.

       3.  Jane Andersen,  Berkeley, CA.

       4.  Alicia Fernandez, Clarksburg, CA.

       5.  Neal Fornaciari, Tracy, CA;

       6.  J. Ray Kennedy, Moronga Valley, CA.

       7.  Antonio Le Mons, Studio City, CA.

       8.  Sara Sadhwani, La Canada Flintridge, CA.

       9.  Patricia S. Sinay, Encinitas, CA.

     10.  Derric Taylor, Los Angeles, CA.

     11.  Pedro Toledo, Petaluma, CA.

     12.  Trena Turner, Stockton, CA.

     13.  Angela Vazquez, Los Angeles, CA.

     14.  Russell Yee, Oakland, CA.

California Supreme Court Decision

On 9/23/21 the California Supreme Court ruled on the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission’s petition to clarify and/or modify the writ of mandate issued by the Court on

July 17, 2020 when it ruled that the Commission should have until December 15, 2021 to submit its’ maps to the California Secretary of State due to the delay in release of census results.

If census results were received after July 31, 2021, the Commission’s deadline would be adjusted accordingly to compensate for the additional federal delay. 

“The Commission is disappointed that the California Supreme Court did not agree with our justification for a January 14, 2022 deadline to submit final maps to the California Secretary of State” stated Commission Chair Neal Fornaciari.  “While disappointed with the ruling, the Commission is committed to ensuring continued public participation in the process and to posting the final set of draft district maps by the court mandated date of November 15, 2021 and to delivering the final district maps to the Secretary of State by the court mandated date of December 27, 2021.  The Commission would like to thank the Court for its timely consideration and response to our petition.”