Redwood City Redistricting
What happened and what’s next?
What’s the history of district elections in Redwood City?
In May 2019, Redwood City transitioned from electing City Councilmembers at-large to electing City Councilmembers by district. What does this mean? During an election prior to 2019, all Redwood City voters had the ability to select multiple candidates from around the City to serve on the City Council. During that time, candidates were allowed to reside anywhere in Redwood City in order to be elected. Following the transition to district elections, the City was divided into seven geographical areas, substantially equal in population, called City Council “districts”. Voters who reside in each district vote for only one candidate who must also reside in that district to serve on the City Council.
The first City Council election under district elections was held on November 3, 2020, when voters elected City Councilmembers from districts 1, 3, 4 and 7. Councilmembers elected by district in November 2020 will complete their terms in November 2024. Redwood City’s transition to district elections will be complete following the November 8, 2022 election, when candidates from districts 2, 5, and 6 will be elected, resulting in the City Council being comprised of Councilmembers all elected by district.
What is redistricting?
As we know, people move and populations can change quite significantly over time. Every ten years and in compliance with federal and state laws, local governments — now including Redwood City — use new federal census data to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed. This process, called redistricting, is important to ensure each City Councilmember represents about the same number of constituents and that each person has an equal say in how their local government operates — one person one vote. Redistricting also determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together in a district, which can impact the way communities use their collective voice to influence their elected officials. At its most basic level, redistricting is the adjustment of election boundaries to create fairer representation, equalize voting strength, and create equitable distribution of political power.
Redistricting occurs during a specified timeframe and must be completed in time for County election officials to begin preparing for the first election where the new map will be used.
What criteria are used to draw a new district map?
Federal and state laws govern the redistricting process and provide the criteria to which a new district map must adhere. In addition to being compliant with the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, the final district map is required to comply with criteria set forth by the California FAIR MAPS Act. Criteria include:
· Ensuring each district has substantially equal population based on the most recent federal census
· Ensuring districts are geographically contiguous — For example, 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 regular ferry service are not contiguous.
· Ensuring the geographic integrity of any local neighborhood or local Community of Interest shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division. A “Community of Interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Communities of interest do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
· Ensuring district boundaries are easily identifiable and understandable to residents and to the extent possible, ensuring the use of natural and artificial barriers such as streets, bodies or water, or jurisdictional boundaries.
· Ensuring districts are not drawn in a matter that favors or discriminates against a political party.
Check out the Redwood City Redistricting Primer for an in-depth explanation of redistricting, traditional redistricting criteria, a glossary of terms, and redistricting best practices used in jurisdictions throughout California.
What happened during the Redwood City redistricting process?
In Redwood City, the City Council has the ultimate responsibility and authority to draw district boundaries; however, state law allows for and encourages significant community participation in the process. One practice that ensures community participation is the establishment of an advisory body to assist the City Council with conducting community engagement activities and making recommendations on draft district maps for Council consideration.
The City Council voted on April 26, 2021 to establish an Advisory Redistricting Committee (ARC) to assist the City Council with conducting community engagement, to solicit Community of Interest testimony and draft map submissions from community members and to use all public input in conjunction with federal census data to make a new district map recommendation to the City Council for consideration.
Following their appointment and with the assistance of City staff and the City’s demographer, the ARC held a series of trainings and virtual community workshops between July 2021 and October 2021. The ARC worked diligently to consider all public testimony and incorporate it into their overall recommendation. Recordings of all trainings and community workshops, along with staff presentations and reports are available on the City’s redistricting webpage.
A majority of the ARCs outreach occurred in advance of the release of 2020 federal census data, which was significantly delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Following the data release, the ARC held three public meetings, including a public hearing, to discuss draft maps prepared by the City’s demographer and members of the public. Informed by community testimony, draft maps submitted by community members, and new federal census data, the ARC deliberations resulted in a unanimous recommendation to the City Council to further consider two draft maps — Draft Plan B and Draft Plan C2.
On December 20, 2021 the Chair and Vice Chair of the ARC joined City staff and the City’s demographer in presenting the recommendations to the City Council. Following the ARC recommendation, the City Council held two additional public hearings to consider public testimony and additional draft maps. At their January 24, 2022 meeting, the City Council directed the City’s demographer to make minor adjustments to one of the ARC-recommended maps, resulting in the creation of Draft Plan C3.
What was the outcome of the redistricting process?
At their meeting on February 14, 2022, the City Council voted 5–2 to introduce an ordinance establishing new City Council election district boundaries reflected Draft Plan C3. The ordinance was adopted on February 28, 2022 by a City Council vote of 5–2.
View the final district map here. You can also access the interactive map to search your address and find out which district you live in.
What happens next?
The first election using the new district map will be the November 8, 2022 election during which voters in districts 2, 5, and 6 will vote for a City Councilmember from their respective district. Voters who live in districts 1, 3, 4 and 7 will not have a contest for City Councilmember on their November 2022 ballot. Residents in these districts will still receive a ballot and will be able to cast their vote on all other items.
The City Council candidate filing period for the November 8, 2022 election will be July 18, 2022 through August 12, 2022 and candidates must be residents and electors in the district they are seeking nomination for at least 30-days prior to filing their nomination papers with the City Clerk’s office. Candidate information and general election information will be available on the City Clerk election webpage, which will be updated regularly as November 2022 election-related activities get underway.
Councilmembers elected at the November 8, 2022 election will be sworn into office at the December 5, 2022 City Council meeting and will each serve a four-year term that will expire in November 2026.
It is important to note that while City Councilmembers are elected by voters in their district, all City Councilmembers are responsible for representing the interests of all Redwood City residents when serving on the City Council.
Still have questions? Contact the City Clerk’s office for more information about redistricting or the November 8, 2022 City Council election.
Pamela Aguilar, City Clerk | Clerk2@redwoodcity.org | (650) 780–7220
