What Citizens Should Expect During the Decennial Redistricting Process
By: Orange County Communications Department
Redistricting is the process of adapting voting district boundaries to better represent current populations. Across federal, state, and local levels of government, voting districts determine for which candidates a citizen is eligible to vote, as well as which district they could represent if they chose to run for office. Orange County contains five (5) voting districts, each of which is represented by one (1) member of the Board of Supervisors. The five (5) districts are nearly equal in population. The redistricting effort occurs every ten (10) years, in response to data gathered by the United States Census. Since populations change in a given area over a decade, it is necessary to redistrict in order to balance those changes and maintain roughly the same population in each district. The redistricting process is regulated by both federal and state law; implementation is a joint responsibility of state and local governments. The laws governing redistricting are vast and complex, but the basic principles of redistricting can be summarized in the following guidelines:
· Redistricting must be done every 10 years in the year ending in one.
· Districts must be drawn using census data.
· Districts must be approximately equal in population.
· Districts cannot be drawn to discriminate based on race.
· Districts must be contiguous and compact.
At the Board of Supervisors ’ Meeting on February 8, 2022, the proposed district boundaries, precinct boundaries, and polling places were adopted following a public hearing. The next step required the adopted ordinance and district maps be sent to the Office of the Virginia Attorney General for approval. The Attorney General ’ s Office has sixty (60) days to review and choose to approve the redistricting. If no response is received, the new districts are approved by default.
Once approved, the County will prepare to hold upcoming elections using the new districts and precincts. This process requires that all registered voters receive updated voter registration documents, regardless of whether their district or precinct was changed during the redistricting process. Please note that even if a voter ’ s district remained the same, their precinct or polling place may have changed. To assist during this transition, Orange County has resources available to help voters locate their proper district, precinct, and polling place, including an interactive map. Please note, district information will not be updated until final approval is received from the Office of the Attorney General. Visit: www.orangecountyva.gov/359/ Polling - Locations to view a list of polling places and the interactive map. Orange County registered voters need not take any action at this time; simply be prepared to receive a new voter registration card via mail in the upcoming months. If you have questions, have changed your name or address, or would like to register to vote, please reach out to the Orange County Office of Voter Registration & Elections at (540) 672 - 5262.
Page 7 | March, 2022
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter