Second Merced County redistricting public hearing is Aug. 10. Here’s how to be involved
The second of four Merced County redistricting public hearings will be held on Aug. 10 at 1:30 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers.
The meeting will provide more information about the redistricting process and dive deeper into identifying local communities of interest.
Redistricting occurs every 10 years, using data from the latest census counts to redraw local governments’ district lines to reflect how populations demographics have changed over the last decade. Cities and counties must engage their community as part of the redistricting process by holding public hearings and doing public outreach.
Finalized maps will define the five Merced County district borders that dictate how residents vote and elect Merced County Supervisors over the next 10 years.
A main goal of redistricting is to draw election district lines that respect and adequately represent neighborhoods, history and geography.
The upcoming public hearing in August will work to define Merced County’s communities of interest, meaning groups of people that share common social or economic interests, live in a geographically defined area or should be included within a single district for purposes of effective and fair representation in future elections.
Residents can attend in person at the Board Chambers or watch the streamed meeting online.
Although official 2020 census data is not yet available, residents can begin using DistrictR and Maptitude mapping tools this summer using population estimates. August’s public hearing will instruct the public how to use the tools to draw and submit their own maps to the county for consideration.
The federal government is expected to release official census numbers in August or September.
Merced County’s first public hearing on redistricting was held June 8. The National Demographics Corporation’s provided attendees with insight into the redistricting process and how to get involved.
The recorded hearing is available to watch on the Merced County YouTube channel and on the county’s redistricting website at www.DrawMercedCounty.org.
Due to feedback from the public, an additional redistricting workshop has been scheduled for Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. The third public hearing is set for Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m. The Board also rescheduled the final Dec. 7 hearing hearing to 6:30 p.m. to accommodate residents’ schedules.
Dec. 15 marks the deadline for the Board of Supervisors to adopt a redistricting plan. New districts will go into effect as of Jan. 13. The first election with new county districts will be June 7.
This story was originally published July 28, 2021 at 12:36 PM.
