2011 election administrators conference a redistricting guide for county election official s
TRANSCRIPT
2011 Election Administrators Conference
A Redistricting Guide for County
Election Officials
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Let’s Start with Definitions Election Districts: Election districts
determine what offices a voter may vote for and establishes the residence qualification of candidates for office Examples: Congressional, state
legislative, county council, city and town
Precincts: Areas established for election purposes
Annexation: A legal process whereby a city or town expands its boundaries
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Who Establishes Election Districts?
General Assembly must establish new congressional districts and new state legislative districts (Indiana Senate and Indiana House) in 2011 as a result of the 2010 census
County Commissioners establish county commissioner and county council districts in 2011
Cities and towns must establish their own election districts in 2012
If congressional maps go from
this......to this
Or Indiana House Maps go from this...
...to this
Redistricting and Reprecincting
It may change the congressional district or state legislative districts in your counties
New precincts may have to be established A precinct may not cross a congressional or
state legislative district line
Voter registration records will have to be altered to reflect any change in a voter’s election districts and precincts
Other district changes may also require changes in precincts and voter records
Redistricting and Reprecincting
County Council Redistricting
4 single-member districts/ 3 at-large seats Single member districts are established by Co.
Commissioner Ordinance (IC 36-2-3-4; IC 36-2-3-4.7) Districts must be “compact” subject only to
natural boundaries (roadways, railroads, waterways etc.)
Districts must contain, as nearly as possible, equal population
District boundaries must not cross a precinct boundary
Districts must include whole townships, except when division is clearly necessary to accomplishing redistricting
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Lake Co. and St. Joseph County have special provisions
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County Commissioner Statutes
3 districts are established by Co. Commissioner Ordinance (IC 36-2-2-4 and 36-2-2-4.7)
Districts must contain “contiguous” territory
Districts must be reasonably “compact”
District boundaries must not cross precinct boundary lines and must divide townships only when a division is clearly necessary to accomplish redistricting(IC 36-2-2-4)
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Lake Co. and St. Joseph County have special provisions
Redistricting and Reprecincting
District Descriptions in Ordinances
Previously adopted ordinance establishing districts remains in effect for the purpose of filling a vacancy in office until the expiration of the term of that office
A reference in the ordinance to an existing boundary (a precinct, for example) refers to the precinct as it existed on the date of adoption of the ordinance. A change in the precinct boundary after adoption of the ordinance does not alter the boundaries of the election districts established by the ordinance (IC 36-1-6-10)
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Additional Definition
• Contiguous: A district may not be divided into two or more pieces by another district.
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Each of these districts is contiguous
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The light-colored district 2 is not contiguous- It is separated by district 3
.
22
3
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Additional Definition
Compact: How tightly packed or spread out is the district? Does the district have jagged
borders?
Redistricting and Reprecincting
These districts are all fairly compact
Redistricting and Reprecincting
The green-colored district 2 is long and spread out and has many jagged edges- It is not compact.
District 2
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Equal Population: The standard measure is total population deviation
Total Population Number of Districts = Ideal Population
Highest District – Lowest District = Total Population Deviation
Total Population Deviation Ideal Population = Percent of Total Population Deviation
10% is only a general guideline - “good faith” may be required Vigo County Republican Central Committee v. Vigo County, 834 F.Supp. 1080 (S.D. Ind. 1993)
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Example
999 Total Population 3 Districts = 333 Ideal Population
3 existing districts of 280, 350 and 370
370 (Highest District) – 280 (Lowest District) = 90 Total Population Deviation
90 (Total Population Deviation) 333 (Ideal Population) = 27% (Total Population Deviation)
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Census Population Data
To aid in equalizing population you need to obtain census population data (not registered voters) and relate it to geography
Population Data may be obtained directly from the census, state library or local library
Population Data in electronic format may be loaded directly into census blocks in GIS format
U.S. Census Bureau will release block level data starting February, 2011
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Sample census block map in one precinct
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1
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Sample block report with population data
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Other Redistricting Factors Communities of interest: recognizable
area with similarities of interest (racial, ethnic, geographic, social, cultural, governmental)
Voting Rights Act: Minority “packing” or “stacking”- redistricting with the intent and/or having the effect of dispersing or concentrating minority population in a manner that dilutes minority representation
Redistricting and Reprecincting
ReprecinctingSome changes to precincts may be
required by law if new election districts split precincts A precinct may not cross a congressional,
state senate or state house district boundary
If the 2011 redistricting of these boundaries split your precincts, then you will be required to establish new precinct to avoid the split
A county will be required to modify voter registrations to account for district & precinct changes
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Who Establishes Precincts?
Precincts are established by the following people:
The County Commissioners
and
The Indiana Election Division (IED) and, in some cases, the Indiana Election Commission
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What is the Process for Establishing Precincts?
The County Commissioners propose a precinct establishment order
IED must approve precincts after staff and Office of Census Data (OCD) review Indiana Election Commission (IEC) will
determine whether to approve precincts if a county voter files a timely objection after IED approval is published by the County
IEC may approve precinct changes if there is not sufficient time for a 10 day objection period
Redistricting and Reprecincting
What is the Process for Establishing Precincts?
Establishing precincts requires the proper paperworkOrder from the County CommissionersCompleted IEC-8s describing precinct
changesAt some point precinct GIS “shape files”
are laid over census “Tiger Files” that allow census block listing to be printed for each precinct
Redistricting and Reprecincting
What is the Process for Establishing Precincts?
Establishing precincts involves several steps but the IED can help with sample forms and technical assistance
IED will assign a precinct coordinator (Lori or Ryan) to help guide a county through the process
IED will issue memos along the way (For example, IED will provide specific instructions upon approval of precincts regarding follow-up procedures)
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Are Any Precincts Changes Automatic?
Precincts may not be established by any other people or by any other process
Precinct boundaries are not “automatically” altered when the General Assembly or a county, municipality, or school district establishes new election districts
Precincts are not “automatically” altered when a city or town annexes new territory
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Precinct Technical Standards
Active Voter limits (IC 3-11-1.5)
When establishing precincts your precincts MUST follow these boundaries and may NEVER cross these boundaries:
No precinct may cross a congressional, state legislative or township boundary
No precinct may cross the state boundary or a county boundary or a township boundary
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Precinct Technical StandardsWhen not following mandatory boundaries,
precincts must follow at least one of the following: Census block boundary (small areas of land
created by census bureau for census purposes) City or town boundary, such as council districts School corporation boundary
A Precinct is not required to follow a city or town boundary if it follows another boundary listed (census block, for example)
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Related Topic: Municipal Annexation A city or town may annex unincorporated
territory at any time by adopting an ordinance
In general, an annexation is final 90 days after legal publication of the ordinance, if no court challenge (remonstrance) is filed √If remonstrance is filed, the court will
determine if and when annexation is final (IC 36-4-3-11)
Annexation ordinances must be filed with the circuit court clerk and board of registration (IC 36-4-3-22)
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Municipal Annexation
Annexation ordinance must assign annexed area to council district in a city or town (if any)
Voters in annexed area are eligible to vote in city or town elections once the annexation is final (IC 3-11-1.5-33)
However, an annexation by a city or town does not “automatically” change any of your precinctsRemember- Only county commissioners
and IED or IEC can change precinct boundaries
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Impact of Municipal Annexation on Elections
Your county may consider changing precincts in response to an annexation to help with administering elections for annexed city or town but county is not legally required to change precincts
Either way, an annexation will change the way a county administers the election for the city or town because the annexed voters are entitled to a city or town ballot
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Annexation
Covington Precinct 6
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Impact of Municipal Annexation on Elections
The registration record of annexed voters must be amended in SVRS when annexation is final to show that the voter is entitled to a city or town ballot
If this impacts 2011 election consider:Changing precinct (if open period); ORAdministering as a “split-precinct” with
pollbook that identifies city or town voters
Redistricting and Reprecincting
Precinct Freezes When can you change precinct lines?
Technically, at any time. But the EFFECTIVE DATE must not be during a “precinct freeze”
2011: Freeze starts Feb 1, 2011 and ends November 9, 2011 for precincts in cities and towns only
Precincts outside of cities and towns are not frozen in 2011
If redistricting forces your county to reprecinct then a reprecinting plan should be developed in 2011
Redistricting and Reprecincting
2012 is NOT the End of the World….…except in Hollywood. In 2012 we will conduct the first elections
held after state and county level redistricting; there will be a lot of cleanup
Some disasters can be anticipated: ballot distribution or candidate filing errors due to district changes
Best advice for now is to get the most accurate precinct maps together that you can and, if you have a GIS department, make friends with them