Guide to Redistricting In 3 Phases Washington Secretary of State Certification and Training Program Revised October 2011 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 3 Period for 2012 precinct changes (graph) 4 Census Benchmarks 6 Phase 1 17 Phase 2 29 Phase 3 32 Redistricting Glossary 35 Appendixes A through E Appendix A: Laws Appendix B: Resources Appendix C: Examples Appendix D: Sample of Written Procedures Appendix E: Census Codes The Office of the Secretary of State Certification and Training Program, and the Washington State Redistricting Commission, in partnership with Washington County Election Administrators, produced this publication. For information on this training contact: Elections Division, PO Box 40229, Olympia, WA 98504‐0229. Guide to Redistricting – In 3 Phases INTRODUCTION Each decade, the US Government collaboration with minor taxing conducts a census of the nation’s districts. population. Following the census, boundaries change to reflect the Phase 3. How is the process finalized? current population of counties, cities, This phase details the release of State Legislative and US Congressional district and other jurisdictions that have internal governing districts. This guide changes and the effects on local will assist county election jurisdictions. Official adoption of new precincts and precinct lines by the administrators in understanding the county legislative authority, and responsibilities and tasks related to adjusting precinct lines in response to notification of voters, will complete the the US census. entire process. This guide is organized into to three Who is responsible? phases of the redistricting process: Three different groups share Phase 1. How can election redistricting responsibilities: The State administrators prepare for the release Redistricting Commission, local of US Census data? This phase outlines jurisdictions, and county legislative pre-census preparations that will assist authorities. election administrators in adjusting The State Redistricting Commission. district and precinct lines according to The commission is charged with census data. redrawing state legislative and US Phase 2. How does the release of the Congressional district lines. The US Census data affect local commission must present a proposed jurisdictions? How do jurisdictions plan to the state legislature in 2012. begin to redraw district boundaries? The state legislature has a limited ability This phase provides guidance for to alter the plan which is not official redrawing district lines and until the legislature passes it. Local Jurisdictions. Not all jurisdictions must adjust their district boundaries in Page 1 response to census data. Only those boundaries; however, doing so provides with internal districts intended to an opportunity to influence where the represent equal numbers of people are lines are drawn. required by law to reapportion their County Legislative Authorities. County districts. If boundary adjustments are required, the new districts must commissions and councils are represent essentially equal shares of responsible for adjusting precinct lines according to city boundaries and the the district’s population based on the census data. Examples of districts that boundaries of congressional, state may need boundary adjustments are legislative, and county legislative county commissioner/county legislative districts. districts, ports, PUDs, cities/towns with Once jurisdictions have redrawn wards, and school director districts. internal district lines, voting precincts Election administrators are not required are adjusted to match the new lines. to assist local districts with adjusting This is typically done in consultation with the county election administrator. Page 2 Period for precinct changes in 2012 Revisions reflect passage of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5124 and Second Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5171 Page 3 CENSUS BENCHMARKS 2011 AND 2012 2011 February 8 Special Election February 23 State received U.S. Census data April 26 Special Election April 8 Adjusted - Jurisdictions received data from state April 9 45 day deadline for county and local jurisdictions to received census data from State May 6 No precinct changes until after 2011 General Election May 17 Special Election June 6 Candidate filing opens June 10 End of candidate filing August 16 Primary August 31 Certification of 2011 Primary November 8 General Election November 29 Certification of 2011 General Election December 8 Adjusted - Last day possible for local jurisdictions to send redistricting plans to County Auditors. The deadline is eight months after the date that jurisdictions received census data from the state. December 12 Week of possible state recounts of election results 2012 January 1 State Redistricting Commission submits state plan to the legislature January 9 State legislature convenes February 8 Deadline for legislature to pass amendments to the state redistricting plan February 10 Earliest date that state approved plan is transmitted to the County Auditors February 14 Special Election March 1 Deadline for Supreme Court to adopt a state redistricting plan if Redistricting Commission fails to submit a plan to the legislature Page 4 April 17 Special Election (adjusted for 2012 only) April 30 New legislation- No precinct changes until after the general election. Affected voters and jurisdictions notified of precinct changes. May 14 New legislation- Candidate filing opens May 18 New legislation- End of candidate filing August 7 2012 Primary (new date) August 21 Certification of Primary (new date) November 6 2012 General Election November 27 Certification of 2012 General Election December 10 Week of possible state recounts December 17 Changes for any jurisdiction redistricting not involved in the 2012 election will begin 2013 February 8 Special Election April 23 Special Election April 29 New legislation- Precinct changes completed by this date and affected voters and jurisdictions notified May 13 New legislation- Candidate filing opens Page 5 Phase 1: Get Ready Preparation for redistricting begins immediately. Focus on the six areas listed in this chapter to prepare your county for effective redrawing of precinct lines. 1. VOTER REGISTRATION FILES There is a limited amount of time for county district covers a whole county and has administrators to adjust precinct boundaries. the same number of commissioner The more that can be done before the final districts as the county legislative adjustments, the better. The following items authority, the port district must use are suggested steps to prepare for redistricting. the same districts as the county legislative authority. Review local district boundaries Current information about district If port districts encompass only part boundaries is essential to prepare for of a county, or cross county lines, the the 2011 local redistricting deadline. To districts be redistricted separately. review district and sub-district boundaries: Counties are often able to redistribute population among these Take an inventory of district maps. districts by simply exchanging some precincts. Verify with districts that the boundaries are still current. Understand how each district defines boundaries. Descriptions of district Seek to obtain current district maps boundaries could be by metes and and legal descriptions not in your bounds, a list of precincts, or a list of possession. census blocks. If a relationship to Document all information provided by precincts or census blocks is used, is each district through obtaining a the list up to date? signature and date from the district’s representative. Are you aware of a district that did not redistrict after the last census? If Districts required to redistrict include: so, advise such districts that there is a need to do so this time. County legislative authority, port commissioner, and PUD commissioner Cities and towns districts. Work with your cities to ensure their Learn current configuration of boundaries are accurate and that city internal district boundaries. If a port annexations are provided to the Page 6 proper authorities (Office of Financial Management AND Census Bureau, County Treasurer, County Auditor, Street file maintenance county GIS department, etc.). Street segments are the basic building blocks for precincts and precinct splits in the voter Keep an active watch on annexations registration system. The accuracy of voter in your county; you may have to placement in your system is only as good as the adopt these before redistricting street file. Cleaning your street file now will occurs. save you time and errors when you later divide School districts and school director districts and combine precincts. Correcting the street file may also require updating voters’ addresses Educational Service Districts (ESDs) in the system to comply with the changes. are the official keepers of school boundaries. Contact ESDs early to Items to review when examining a obtain current information. street file: School district boundaries were Even/odd addresses. Review all streets to make recently updated in the Census sure that addresses are in proper Bureau’s data; a by-product of this jurisdiction/precinct. effort was a large number of Incomplete addresses. Your county’s street file corrections/revisions to the legal may be missing one or more elements of an descriptions, which are pending address. adoption by the ESDs. Incorrect road types. For instance, highways ESDs should have boundary and state routes are their own street type. verification maps for