What is Redistricting?
Redistricting is the process of drawing new electoral district boundaries to equalize districts in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. Every ten years, local governments use new census data to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed.
What is Reapportionment?
Reapportionment is the process of dividing the number of State representatives and senators among the State’s population to assure, as close as possible, districts are of equal size.
What is the Difference between Reapportionment and Redistricting?
While the terms are often used interchangeably, “reapportionment” refers to the allocation of seats, whereas “redistricting” concerns the drawing of district lines.
When is Reapportionment Conducted?
Once every 10 years following the census.
Why are Redistricting and Reapportionment important?
As United States citizens, we have the privilege and right to elect our own representatives. As the County’s population changes, boundaries must be adjusted to account for shifts in population and demographics to ensure that voters have an equal voice in electing their representatives. The elected representatives are responsible for public policy and funding decisions that impact the lives of County residents, such as law enforcement, hospitals, public works, and children and family services.
Why has the redistricting been delayed?
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Census Bureau to alter its timeline and procedures to conduct the fieldwork required in the census. This caused the delays in the release of the US Census data which was needed to draw the new congressional and legislative districts.
Will the lines be in place for the June 7, 2022 Statewide Direct Primary Election?
The lines are finalized and are in place for candidate filing, which began on January 3, 2022.
What has the Registrar of Voters done to make the redistricting process easier to understand for candidates and voters?
The Registrar has taken a proactive approach with the redistricting process. We have created informational pages on our website to explain redistricting, providing updates in real-time. Our office has created tools for candidates and voters to be able to verify the districts in which they reside including an online district verification tool, electronic maps, and printed maps available for purchase.
How can I find out what district a voter resides in?
You can determine what districts a voter resides in by using our online district verification address lookup tool found on our website, ocvote.gov/map-central. Simply enter the residence address in the search bar, and a list of the districts associated with that address will populate. The new district lines are available now.
When can I purchase a map of the precincts in a District?
Maps of the districts are available for purchase now. You can visit ocvote.gov/map-central for a list of available maps.
How do I find out which precincts are in specific districts?
Precincts for specific districts will be available on February 14, 2022, or sooner. Starting that day, you can check what precincts are in a specific district by visiting our website at ocvote.gov/map-central.
Where can I find more information on your website?
You can visit our website, ocvote.gov/redistricting for more information on the redistricting process.