Video content Summary

Every ten years, after the federal census, California must re-establish the boundaries of its Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts to reflect new population data and shifting populations. The Voters FIRST Act gave this power to California citizens ensuring that new and fair political boundaries are drawn without special interests, politics and political influence.

As was done ten years ago, a new independent redistricting commission made up of 14 citizens—five Democrats, five Republicans, and four that are not affiliated with either of those two parties—will be responsible for drawing the new district lines.

The 14-member 2020 CA Citizens Redistricting Commission is fully formed. As required by law, the first eight members of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission were randomly selected on July 2, 2020. These first eight members chose the final six members from the applicants that remained in the applicant pool on August 7, 2020.

The Commission will have one year to determine and approve the district maps starting no later than August 15, 2020 and ending August 15, 2021 when the final maps must be presented to the Secretary of State for certification. Note: Updated Timeline due to delay in Census data.

During this time period, the commissioners will be performing complex tasks that include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Draw District Lines: The primary function of the Commission is to draw the Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization district lines. These four maps will be the product of the redistricting process after public debate and compromise through different iterations of proposed district maps.

  • Hold Public Meetings: Any meeting involving at least nine commissioners must be in a public meeting environment. As the commissioners perform their important work drawing district lines, they will be holding public meetings throughout the State. In these public meetings, the commissioners will solicit and receive public input as they determine which communities share common interests and should share common representation. During the hearings, testimony and presentations may be lengthy. Each meeting will require multiple members of the Commission to attend and many meetings will likely be conducted in the evenings and on weekends to allow for greater public participation in this important process.

  • Research and Analyze: The commissioners will also be reviewing and discussing pertinent data used to set geographic boundaries for districts. This information includes the 2020 census data from which the districts will be drawn, computer modeling of the census data to create potential districts, the public input discussed above, and the discussion and compromise that accompanies such an important process, that will impact California for 10 years.

  • Hire Support Staff: The commissioners will be very busy performing their duties, so they will hire administrative and support staff as needed. Some of the Commission's tasks will include: drafting and promulgating regulations; appointing a staff director; scheduling meetings and hearings, and notifying interested parties; maintaining records of the Commission's deliberations; overseeing payroll, travel reimbursements, equipment purchases, and maintenance; and communicating with individuals who request information regarding the Commission's progress.

Finalized Maps

Prepare Legal Defense: State law grants the Commission sole legal standing to defend any action regarding a certified map. After the maps are approved, the Commission may need to defend the maps if there are any lawsuits. The final maps will be subject to public scrutiny and possible challenge which may result in swift proceedings before the California Supreme Court. In that event, the Commission would likely hire an attorney to defend the maps on its behalf.

Pursuant to Article 21, section 2(i) of the state Constitution, the final maps are deemed to have been “enacted” on the date of their certification to the Secretary of State (12/27/2021). The “enactment” date triggers the 90-day period for a referendum petition to be filed. In the absence of a sufficient and timely referendum petition being filed, the maps would otherwise become “effective” 90 days after enactment/certification (3/27/22). But the maps and the new district boundaries don’t actually become “operative” until the 2022 primary and general elections; the new boundaries are used for those elections and the new districts don’t actually “exist” until after the 2022 general election is completed.

This distinction is important for two purposes:

One, the current boundaries still apply for purposes of determining who are the constituents of the various elected officials and offices; in other words, until the 2022 general election, constituents are still represented by the representative of their old/existing district, and not by the existing representative of the new district in which they might find themselves following the 2022 election.

Two, and perhaps more important, a special election to fill a vacancy in an existing district uses the “old” boundaries and takes place in the district as it existed when that candidate was last elected, despite the fact that this special election may take place after March 27, 2022 (when the new districts became “effective” but were not yet “operative”).