Summer is now upon us, and Californians
have yet another reason to be excited: everyday citizens have a chance this
season to help decide the future of the Golden State. Today, California’s
Citizens Redistricting Commission will release draft maps for California’s
state Senate, state Assembly and congressional districts. Over the next two
months, Californians can tell commissioners who we are and how we’d like
to be represented.
For the first time in the state’s
history, the lines are being drawn by a citizen’s commission, based on
extensive public input. This public-driven process is an important reflection
of a long-held desire by Californians to determine our collective fate –
whether at the ballot box or at the community level. Public input has played
and will continue to play a crucial role in making the redistricting process
transparent and representative of all of California’s diverse constituencies.
There is no doubt that most news stories
about the maps will focus on the "winners" and "losers." They will focus
on which incumbents and likely candidates might be in new districts that are
perceived to be easier or more difficult for them electorally-speaking. The
implications for specific incumbents do matter, but the historic nature of the
redistricting process itself and the continuing role for the public are no less
important.
Californians have a critical role to play
before the district maps are finalized by August 15. Between now and then, the
redistricting commission will hold meetings throughout the state and seek
public comment about the draft maps – both off-line and on-line. These maps
are not final and public input will be crucial for the final decision.
There are four easy ways a Californian
can have his or her voice heard:
- Attend one of the
commission’s public meetings. A list of meetings can be found here. - Submit comments to the
commission online here. - View the maps and
develop alternative proposals online at RedrawCA.org - Visit one of the six redistricting
assistance sites around the state
On ReDrawCA.org,
the public can see the demographic and voting statistics for all of the
Commission’s proposed new districts, access alternative map proposals, redraw
boundaries or comment directly on the new boundaries in its "wiki-mapping"
room. At the six regional assistance sites, Californians will be able to view
the proposed districts and work with a mapping expert to develop alternative
map proposals, draw neighborhood boundaries and document communities of
interest.
And there are more opportunities to
engage. These include trainings and background on California’s redistricting
process that are available online through the Redistricting California
Alliance, a collaborative of more than a dozen civic groups interested in
redistricting: http://www.redistrictingca.org/
This
is a unique and important moment that may determine how California is governed
for the next ten years and beyond. We were the first state in the nation to
create a citizen’s redistricting commission and we are now the first to have an
all-access pass to the line-drawing. I encourage you to take part in this
historic opportunity.