Shoutout to our McGeorge Law School intern, Jacob Benitez, for his work on this write-up!
On July 27th, 2022 the Sacramento City Council unanimously approved placement of a redistricting map implementation measure on the November 8, 2022 ballot (item 22). In addition, the Council approved a change to clarify the meaning of the redistricting map and authorized members of the council to author arguments to present to voters.
It is no surprise that redistricting maps and the justification for redistricting can be hard to understand, so some clarification is good news.
What is redistricting?
The Constitution requires a census that takes place every 10 years in order to obtain an updated count of the population. This data is then used to redraw districts based on shifting populations.
What is the change being made?
On July 26, 2022, the City Council adopted a resolution approving placement on the November 8, 2022 ballot pertaining to a Redistricting Map Implementation. On the same day, the City Council approved the text of the proposed measure to be submitted to the voters. However, the Council has now decided to amend some of the wording to address some confusion.
Charter Section 171 describes how a newly adopted map is implemented.
The letters in red were added, along with the words “and is effective immediately upon adoption” being redacted.
The clarification makes it known that the new map identifies boundaries for the next upcoming election (and elections after that) and not necessarily immediately.
The following question was also added to the ballot.
Public commenters raised questions about what the specific redistricting maps looked like by asking Council to clarify that the map is the same as the one presented in June. In addition, public commenters sought clarification on whether representation will start in June opposed to November/ December.
However, these comments were ignored and not addressed.
It is important to demand full transparency on matters that affect redistricting. Representation of new district lines should not be made to diminish the voices of the Sacramento community.