2021 REDISTRICTING GUIDE Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State 180 State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155 Phone: (651) 215-1440 Toll Free: 1-877-600-8683 Minnesota Relay Service: 1-800-627-3529 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sos.state.mn.us Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State 2021 Redistricting Guide 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.0 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................................. 8 1.1 About this guide ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.1.1 Organization....................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.1.2 Usage ................................................................................................................................................................. 8 1.2 What is redistricting? .............................................................................................................................................. 8 1.3 When does redistricting take place? ....................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.1 Special Elections ................................................................................................................................................. 9 1.4 Who will be redistricting? ....................................................................................................................................... 9 1.4.1 County ............................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.4.2 City..................................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.4.3 Township ..........................................................................................................................................................10 1.4.4 School District ...................................................................................................................................................10 1.4.5 Other Districts ...................................................................................................................................................10 1.5 How can jurisdictions prepare? ..............................................................................................................................10 1.5.1 Know your area .................................................................................................................................................10 1.5.2 Review your staff and skills................................................................................................................................10 1.5.3 Plan processes ...................................................................................................................................................10 1.5.4 Understand the population ...............................................................................................................................11 1.5.5 Gather census data............................................................................................................................................11 1.5.6 Map out technology ..........................................................................................................................................11 2.0 STATE AND FEDERAL REDISTRICTING........................................................................................................................12 2.1 Congressional districts ...........................................................................................................................................12 2.2 Legislative districts .................................................................................................................................................12 2.3 District requirements .............................................................................................................................................12 2.4 Legislative process .................................................................................................................................................13 2.5 Role of the Office of the Secretary of State ............................................................................................................13 2.6 Role of the courts ...................................................................................................................................................14 3.0 CITY WARDS .............................................................................................................................................................15 3.1 What are wards? ....................................................................................................................................................15 3.2 Ward requirements ................................................................................................................................................15 3.2.1 Ward boundaries...............................................................................................................................................15 3.2.2 Ward population ...............................................................................................................................................15 3.3 Ward redistricting process .....................................................................................................................................16 3.3.1 Review city charter or policies ...........................................................................................................................16 3.3.2 Acquire census block population data ...............................................................................................................16 3.3.3 Describing ward boundaries ..............................................................................................................................16 3.3.4 Public involvement ............................................................................................................................................17 3.3.5 Dates for establishing wards ..............................................................................................................................17 3.4 Giving notice ..........................................................................................................................................................17 3.4.1 Publish and post ward plan................................................................................................................................17 3.4.2 Notification of county and state ........................................................................................................................17 3.5 Ward redistricting and the City Council..................................................................................................................18 3.5.1 Residence in ward .............................................................................................................................................18 3.5.2 First class cities without staggered council terms ...............................................................................................18 3.5.3 Failure to redistrict ............................................................................................................................................18 3.6 Voter’s right to contest ..........................................................................................................................................18 Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State 2021 Redistricting Guide 3 4.0 PRECINCTS ................................................................................................................................................................19 4.1 What are precincts? ...............................................................................................................................................19 4.2 Precinct requirements............................................................................................................................................19 4.2.1 Precinct boundaries...........................................................................................................................................19 4.2.2 Population.........................................................................................................................................................19 4.2.3 Available polling places .....................................................................................................................................19 4.2.4 Other non-required considerations ...................................................................................................................19 4.3 Precincts and the redistricting process...................................................................................................................20