On Saturday, March 25, the Leagues of Women Voters of South, North and Central San Mateo County will hold a joint meeting to review the County and City 2021 redistricting efforts and discuss future League actions to further the goal of fair redistricting.
The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to noon in the Redwood Room at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, located at 1455 Madison, Redwood City.
Redistricting, the process of redrawing election district boundaries, happens every ten years after the census and ensures districts have equal population. These lines can impact which communities are represented in local government and whose interests are prioritized in local decision-making. Helen Hutchison, the government director, and past president of the CA League of
Women Voters, will speak to the outcome and effects of the Fair Maps Act in local redistricting for the 2022 elections and how putting those requirements into effect will help the next redistricting.
The Fair Maps Act was passed into law in 2019 and is the most significant and comprehensive overhaul of the city and county redistricting process in California history.
By the 2021 cycle, 22 cities and counties used IRCs (Independent Redistricting Commissions), encompassing 42 percent of the state’s population. This law was passed to ensure that redistricting was removed from the hands of the local legislative bodies.
During this meeting participants will review explicit actions county-wide that have affected fair redistricting. Leagues and involved citizens will then explore ways of working together to achieve a greater number of Independent Redistricting Commissions.
Admission is free and is open to the public. For further information, mail to vpprogram@lwvssmc.org.
