FAQ
In 2021 and 2022, the City of Visalia asked for the public's help to plan and draw new City districts.
On February 22, 2022, the Visalia City Council voted to approve Resolution 2022-11 and adopted the new map. The final map that the public helped create will define the five City of Visalia district borders, and these new districts will impact how you elect your Council Members for the next 10 years.
For record keeping purposes, and per CA Assembly Bill 849 Section 12 (g), all pages on the City website pertaining to the 2021/2022 Redistricting process will remain available.
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Here we have listed Frequently Asked Questions about redistricting.
Have a question you don't see below? Email [email protected] or call Allison Mackey, Communications Manager at (559) 713-4535. These FAQs were last updated on 12.17.21.
Q: What is redistricting?
A: Redistricting is the regular process of adjusting the lines of voting districts in accordance with population shifts. In California, public agencies and other organizations must redivide (or redraw) the lines of their districts every ten years once the results of the Census are released so that each district is substantially equal in population. This ensures that each elected official represents about the same number of constituents.
All district lines must be reviewed to meet strict requirements for population equality, voting rights protections, and in accordance with the California FAIR MAPS Act.
Q: Why does redistricting matter to me?
A: Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for purposes of electing Council Members. The City Council will seek input in selecting the next district map for electing Council Members. You have an opportunity to share with the City Council how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community either during the public hearings or by submitting comments to [email protected].
Q: Are draft maps still due November 22, 2021 and December 27, 2021?
A: No. Due to a delay in the delivery of the digital mapping tool, the City Council has authorized staff to extend the redistricting timeline. The final deadline to submit maps is Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 5 p.m. PST. All maps received by this deadline will be included for presentation during Public Hearing No. 5 on Monday, February 7, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Q: When are draft maps due from the public?
A: Draft maps are due from the public no later than Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 5 p.m. PST. All maps received by this deadline will be included for presentation during Public Hearing No. 5 on February 7, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. in the Visalia City Council Chambers.
Q: Do I have to use the digital tool Dave's Redistricting to draw my map?
A: No, maps can be submitted in any format, print or digital. Community of interest maps and district maps can be created by a hand drawing, using the Paper Map Kits (available here), a digital tool, or a citizen's own software. The tools (both paper and digital) are only intended to help citizens in the process.
Q: What do the existing City Council districts look like?
A: You can find a map of the City’s current City Council districts here.
What criteria will our City Council use when drawing district lines?
1. Federal Laws
- Equal Population (based on total population of residents as determined by the most recent Federal decennial Census and adjusted by the State to reassign incarcerated persons to the last known place of residence)
- Federal Voting Rights Act
- No Racial Gerrymandering
2. California Criteria for Cities (to the extent practicable and in the following order of priority)
- Geographically contiguous (areas that meet only at the points of adjoining corners are not contiguous. Areas that are separated by water and not connected by a bridge, tunnel, or ferry service are not contiguous.
- Undivided neighborhoods and “communities of interest” (Socio-economic geographic areas that should be kept together for purposes of its effective and fair representation)
- Easily identifiable boundaries
- Compact (Do not bypass one group of people to get to a more distant group of people)
- Prohibited: “Shall not favor or discriminate against a political party.”
Q: What are Communities of Interest?
A: A community of interest is a “contiguous population that shares common social and economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation.”
Below are useful excerpts from the Local Government Redistricting Toolkit by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (2020). Communities of interest are the overlapping sets of neighborhoods, networks, and groups that share interests, views, cultures, histories, languages, and values and whose boundaries can be identified on a map.
The following elements help define communities of interest:
- Shared interests in schools, housing, community safety, transit, health conditions, land use, environmental conditions, and/or other issues;
- Common social and civic networks, including churches, mosques, temples, homeowner associations, and community centers, and shared use of community spaces, like parks and shopping centers;
- Racial and ethnic compositions, cultural identities, and households that predominantly speak a language other than English;
- Similar socio-economic status, including but not limited to income, home-ownership, and education levels;
- Shared political boundary lines from other jurisdictions, such as school districts, community college districts, and water districts.
Q: How will our City Council notify the public about redistricting?
A: The City Council will reach out to local media to publicize the redistricting process. Also, we will make a good faith effort to notify community groups of various kinds about the redistricting process. The City Council will notify the public about redistricting hearings and workshops, post maps online before adoption, and maintain these dedicated web pages for all relevant information about the redistricting process.
Our public hearings and workshops will be provided in applicable languages if residents submit a request in advance to Allison Mackey, City of Visalia Communications Manager, at [email protected] or at (559) 713-4535. Questions? Email us at [email protected].
Q: How can I get involved?
A: Share your specific thoughts, draw a map, or attend an upcoming workshop to get involved!
- Submit written testimony about the process or a specific map to [email protected].
- Click here to see the calendar of workshops and public hearings at which you can speak about the process or a specific map.
- Click here for information on drawing and submitting maps.
At the hearings and workshops, we want you to:
- Share your story
- Define your neighborhood or community of interest
- Explain why redistricting is relevant to your community
- Get the tools you need to draw a map of one district or of all five districts
- Share your opinions of the draft maps
- Talk to your neighbors and local organizations
Q: What do the acronyms and categories mean on the demographic sheets?
A: Common acronyms demographic categories:
- NH: Non-Hispanic
- VAP: Voting age population
- CVAP: Citizen Voting Age Population
- CVRA: California Voting Rights Act
- FAIR MAPS Act: Fair And Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities and Political Subdivisions
- NDC: National Demographics Corporation (the firm hired to produce the maps and provide demographic data)
Q: Do I have to submit a completed map?
A: No, you do not need to submit a fully completed map. You can draw boundaries for only your neighborhood or only a portion of the city. It is helpful if you submit written commentary with your map describing why the particular neighborhood or area should be kept together in a single district.
Q: Can I submit more than one map?
A: Yes, you may submit more than one map. Please draw as many maps as you like. We suggest you submit only your top two to three preferred maps to assist the City Council in focusing on the map that best represents your community; however, there is no limit.
Q: What happens to the drafted maps?
A: After you submit your map, it will be posted "raw" (as received from the submitter) to our Draft Maps page. The demographic consultants NDC will then generate the population and other demographic details for your proposed map. Maps can be viewed on the Draft Maps page or on the Interactive Review Map. Once submitted, maps are considered public records.
Q: Where can I learn more about redistricting?
A: Online publications and guides to redistricting:
- From MALDEF, the NAACP and the Asian Justice Center
- From the Asian Americans Advancing Justice
- From the Brennan Center
- From the League of Women Voters
- From the California Independent Redistricting Commission FAQs
Information Retention
In accordance with CA Assembly Bill 849 Section 12 (g), information on this page will be retained for a period of ten (10) years. This page can not be superseded till January 1, 2031.