Press Release
New Report: How to Unlock Fair Voting Maps with Independent Commissions
A new report from Common Cause breaks down how to design every aspect of independent redistricting commissions to ensure fair maps.
Kampanya
Los Angeles Fair Redistricting
California Common Cause is bringing an honest and open redistricting process to California, one city at a time.
Angelenos Overwhelmingly Approve Redistricting Reform for LA
As 2024 election results are counted and in the process of certification, one thing is clear: Los Angeles voters overwhelmingly support independent redistricting, resulting in landslide wins for Measures DD & LL.
Measures DD & LL put important decision-making power about the future of LA communities back in the hands of Angelenos, and out of the hands of power-hungry politicians, by creating independent redistricting commissions for LA City Council and LAUSD respectively.
What are Independent Redistricting Commissions (IRCs)?
The future Los Angeles Independent Redistricting Commission will be a sixteen-member body that has the authority to redraw the boundaries of City Council districts at the start of each decade after the census, while the LAUSD IRC will be comprised of fourteen members to draw the boundaries of the seven Board of Education districts. These two separate commissions will be independent of City Council and have rigorous conflicts of interest, transparency, and public input provisions to ensure that redistricting is a product of engagement with residents and fair redistricting practices.
Setting Up the Commissions
- Application Process The LA City Clerk, overseen by the City Ethics Commission, conducts an outreach and education program to educate the public on how to apply to serve as commissioner, and accepts applications to create an applicant pool for both the City and LAUSD IRCs.
- Eligibility of Applicants
- The applicants are evaluated by the City Clerk and City Ethics Commission to eliminate any applicants that do not meet the eligibility criteria or have conflicts of interest.
- Applicants must be 18 years old and a resident of the City for at least five years (for City IRC), or resident of LAUSD for three years (LAUSD IRC) Conflict of interest protections prohibit the following people from serving as commissioners:
- Elected officials, candidates, city commissioners, political party officers, or lobbyists;
- Staff, consultants, or close family members of elected officials and candidates;
- Individuals that have donated more than $500 to a single candidate in a year.
- Random Selection of Commissioners
- City IRC – first eight of 16: One qualified applicant is randomly selected from each of eight different geographic regions.
- LAUSD IRC – first seven of 14: One qualified applicant is randomly selected from each of the seven existing Board Districts.
- Selection of Remaining Commissioners
- City IRC – final eight of 16: The first eight commissioners selected then review the remaining qualified applicants to select the remaining eight commissioners with considerations for experience, the ability to be impartial, and diversity.
- LAUSD IRC – final seven of 14: The first seven commissioners selected then review the remaining qualified applicants to select the remaining seven commissioners with considerations for experience, the ability to be impartial, and diversity. At least four of the total 14 commissioners must be current parents or guardians of LAUSD students.
Transparency
Commissioners will be prohibited from having private conversations with elected officials about the redistricting process. All communications about redistricting must occur at public meetings.
Drawing the Voting Maps
- Education and Hearings
- Commissioners will encourage resident participation, through public hearings and workshops to provide public input in each phase of the process, and these hearings and workshops will be held across the City or LAUSD with some meetings after business hours or on weekends. 2. Development of Draft Maps
- As the commissioners consider public input and begin to draw draft maps, they must draw districts that:
- Comply with federal and state constitutions and the federal Voting Rights Act;
- Are geographically contiguous;
- Preserve communities of interest;
- Follow natural and artificial barriers or boundaries, such as streets; and
- Are compact.
- As the commissioners consider public input and begin to draw draft maps, they must draw districts that:
- Commissioners will encourage resident participation, through public hearings and workshops to provide public input in each phase of the process, and these hearings and workshops will be held across the City or LAUSD with some meetings after business hours or on weekends. 2. Development of Draft Maps
- Districts cannot be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent, candidate, or political party.
- Adoption of Final Maps
- Any final map proposals must be publicly posted for at least seven days before consideration at a hearing or meeting.
- Final maps shall be selected no later than September 30 of the year ending in one.
Para sa mga Tao: Isang Roadmap para sa Community-Centered Independent Redistricting sa Los Angeles
As one of the architects of California’s statewide Citizens Redistricting Commission and one of the leading advocates for independent redistricting in local communities, California Common Cause will continue to support the core precepts necessary for a truly independent and meaningful redistricting process. This is informed by our monitoring of over 60 local jurisdictions during the most recent redistricting process, as well as two decades of experience monitoring and working with the state’s Citizens Redistricting Commission.
After carefully analyzing and reviewing the report produced by the Los Angeles City Council’s Chief Legislative Analyst’s Office, California Common Cause proposes key redistricting recommendations that seek to:
- ensure a fully Independent Redistricting Commission,
- ensure that the City Council reflects the growth of the City,
- preserve a community-centered approach in map drawing,
- emphasize transparency and inclusivity in the redistricting process,
- and allow an independent Commission to undergo responsive evolution.
Read our recommendations:
Para sa mga Tao: Isang Roadmap para sa Community-Centered Independent Redistricting sa Los Angeles
THE PROMISE OF FAIR MAPS
California’s 2020 Local Redistricting Cycle: Lessons Learned and Future Reforms
With the 2020 local redistricting cycle concluded, our report takes a step back to evaluate the effectiveness of the FAIR MAPS Act and related independent redistricting commission reforms in encouraging meaningful public participation and promoting the adoption of maps that better reflect and empower a jurisdiction’s diverse communities.
The report explores five key areas of the redistricting process — timing, transparency of the process, public participation in the process, line-drawing criteria, and the use of independent and advisory redistricting commissions — that significantly changed this cycle compared with prior cycles.
Serving as the report of record for the 2020 redistricting cycle, The Promise of Fair Maps proposes solutions to the biggest issues identified for creating an inclusive and participatory democracy through redistricting.
2023 Legislation
Sponsored by California Common Cause, AB 1248 prioritizes people and communities over sitting incumbents by requiring a politically independent redistricting process for local jurisdictions throughout the state.