SUBMISSION UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT (42 U.S.C. § 1973c) CITY OF NEW YORK 2012-2013 DISTRICTING COMMISSION Submission for Preclearance of the Final Districting Plan for the Council of the City of New York Plan Adopted by the Commission: February 6, 2013 Plan Filed with the City Clerk: March 4, 2013 Dated: March 22, 2013 EXPEDITED PRECLEARANCE REQUESTED TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... i I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 II. EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION (28 C.F.R. § 51.34) ................................................. 3 III. THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL.............................................................................. 4 IV. THE NEW YORK CITY DISTRICTING COMMISSION ......................................... 4 A. Districting Commission Members ....................................................................... 4 B. Commissioner Training ........................................................................................ 5 C. Public Meetings ..................................................................................................... 6 V. DISTRICTING PROCESS PER CITY CHARTER ..................................................... 7 A. Schedule ................................................................................................................. 7 B. Criteria ................................................................................................................... 8 VI. PUBLIC OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION ...................................................... 9 A. Website and Social Media .................................................................................. 10 B. Speakers’ Bureau and Outreach to Community Boards ................................ 11 C. Online Mapping for Members of the Public .................................................... 12 D. Resource Room (Public Access Terminals) ...................................................... 13 E. Advertisements and Mailings............................................................................. 13 F. Press Coverage .................................................................................................... 15 G. Comments/Communications from Third Parties Received by Commission . 15 H. Public Hearings ................................................................................................... 16 i. First Round .............................................................................................. 17 ii. Second Round .......................................................................................... 18 iii. Third Round ............................................................................................ 19 VII. DATABASE DESIGN .................................................................................................... 19 A. The 2000 Census .................................................................................................. 22 B. The 2010 Census .................................................................................................. 23 i. Demographic Changes in New York County ....................................... 23 ii. Demographic Changes in Bronx County .............................................. 24 iii. Demographic Changes in Kings County ............................................... 24 iv. Demographic Changes in Queens County ............................................ 24 v. Demographic Changes in Richmond County ....................................... 24 VIII. DISTRICTING PLANS ................................................................................................. 25 A. Overview .............................................................................................................. 25 B. Preliminary Draft Plan ....................................................................................... 25 C. November 15th Plan ............................................................................................. 27 D. December 4th Plan ............................................................................................... 28 E. Final Districting Plan .......................................................................................... 28 i. New York County ................................................................................... 29 ii. Bronx County .......................................................................................... 30 iii. Kings County ........................................................................................... 31 IX. FINAL PLAN ADOPTION ............................................................................................ 32 A. Board of Elections Letter and Response ........................................................... 33 B. Public Notice of this Submission ........................................................................ 33 X. SECTION 5 PRECLEARANCE SUBMISSION ......................................................... 33 A. Covered Jurisdictions ......................................................................................... 33 i. New York County ................................................................................... 34 ii. Bronx County .......................................................................................... 34 iii. Kings County ........................................................................................... 35 B. Benchmark Plan .................................................................................................. 35 C. Standard of Review ............................................................................................. 36 D. Section 5 Analysis ................................................................................................ 37 i. Majority Black Districts ......................................................................... 39 ii. Majority Hispanic Districts .................................................................... 58 iii. Multiethnic Districts ............................................................................... 77 XI. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 85 XII. EXHIBIT LIST ............................................................................................................... 86 APPENDIX 1: Dr. Lisa Handley, A Voting Rights Act Evaluation of the 2013 New York City Council Redistricting Plan APPENDIX 2: Submission Tables - Unadjusted Census Data Page i of xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Section 5 Preclearance Submission (28 C.F.R. Part 51) I. Required Contents (28 C.F.R. § 51.27): a. A copy of any ordinance, enactment, order, or regulation embodying the change affecting voting for which section 5 preclearance is being requested. The 2013 final plan for the Districts of the Council of the City of New York (the “final districting plan”) of the City of New York 2012-2013 Districting Commission (the “Districting Commission”) for the fifty-one districts of the Council of the City of New York (the “City Council”) is annexed to this submission. (Exhibit 1a.) b. A copy of any ordinance, enactment, order, or regulation embodying the voting standard, practice, or procedure that is proposed to be repealed, amended, or otherwise changed. The 2003 precleared final districting plan for the City Council is annexed to this submission. (Exhibit 2a.) c. A statement that identifies with specificity each change affecting voting for which section 5 preclearance is being requested and that explains the difference between the submitted change and the prior law or practice. The changes affecting voting are set forth in Section X, infra, of this submission. d. The name, title, mailing address, and telephone number of the person making the submission. Where available a telefacsimile number and an email address for the person making the submission also should be provided. This submission is being made for the the City of New York 2012-2013 Districting Commission by: Thaddeus Hackworth, Esq. General Counsel New York City 2012-2013 Districting Commission 253 Broadway, 7th Floor New York, NY 10007 tel: (212) 788-9689 mobile: (917) 618-1819 fax: (212) 788-9470 email: [email protected] Page ii of xi e. The name of the submitting authority and the name of the jurisdiction responsible for the change, if different. The name of the submitting authority and the name of the jurisdiction responsible for the change is the same as those set forth in paragraphs (d) and (g). f. If the submission is not from a State or county, the name of the county and State in which the submitting authority is located. The City of New York is comprised of New York County, Bronx County, Queens County, Kings County, and Richmond County, in the State of New York. g. Identification of the person or body responsible for making the change and the mode of decision (e.g., act of State legislature, ordinance of city council, administrative decision by registrar). The body responsible for making the change is the New York City 2012-2013 Districting Commission, a 15-member commission appointed pursuant to Chapter 2A of the New York City Charter. Benito Romano, Chair Carl Hum, Executive Director 253 Broadway, 7th Floor New York, NY 10007 (212) 442-6940 h. A statement identifying the statutory