FAQ

Redistricting is the regular process of adjusting the lines of voting districts in accordance with population shifts. In California, public agencies and other organizations must redivide (or redraw) the lines of their districts every ten years once the results of the Census are released so that each district is substantially equal in population. This ensures that each elected official represents about the same number of constituents.

All district lines must be reviewed to meet strict requirements for population equality, voting rights protections, and in accordance with the California FAIR MAPS Act. With the California Voting Rights Act, more than 500 jurisdictions in California must redistrict in 2021-2022.

Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for purposes of electing Council Members. The City Council will seek input in selecting the next district map for electing a Council Member. You have an opportunity to share with the City Council how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community. Share your input during the public hearings or by submitting comments to redistricting2021@cityofpalmdale.org.

You can find a map of the City’s current City Council districts here.

1. Federal Laws
   • Equal Population (based on total population of residents as determined by the most recent Federal decennial Census and adjusted by the State to reassign incarcerated persons to the last known place of residence)
   • Federal Voting Rights Act
   • No Racial Gerrymandering
2. California Criteria for Cities (to the extent practicable and in the following order of priority)
   • Districts shall be geographically contiguous (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 ferry service are not contiguous.)
   • Districts shall not divide neighborhoods and “communities of interest” (Socio-economic geographic areas that should be kept together for purposes of its effective and fair representation)
   • Districts shall have easily identifiable boundaries
   • Districts shall be compact (Districts shall not bypass a nearby population to get to a more distant population)
   • Districts shall not be drawn to favor or discriminate a political party.
3. Other Traditional Redistricting Principles
   • Minimize voters shifted to different election years
   • Respect voters’ choices / continuity in office
   • Account for future population growth
   • Preserve the core of existing districts

A community of interest is a “contiguous population that shares common social and economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation.”

Below are useful excerpts from the Local Government Redistricting Toolkit by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (2020).

Communities of interest are the overlapping sets of neighborhoods, networks, and groups that share interests, views, cultures, histories, languages, and values and whose boundaries can be identified on a map.

The following elements help define communities of interest:

• shared interests in schools, housing, community safety, transit, health conditions, land use, environmental conditions, and/or other issues;
• common social and civic networks, including churches, mosques, temples, homeowner associations, and community centers, and shared use of community spaces, like parks and shopping centers;
• racial and ethnic compositions, cultural identities, and households that predominantly speak a language other than English;
• similar socio-economic status, including but not limited to income, home-ownership, and education levels;
• shared political boundary lines from other jurisdictions, such as school districts, community college districts, and water districts.