Every 10 years the federal government conducts the Census, a
count of all those residing in the United States. In a normal
year, the counting, also known as enumeration, for most states
would begin in March and be completed by July. However, as we all
know 2020 was not a “normal” year, and right as the survey was
being distributed to households across the country, COVID-19 was
spreading rapidly. This, paired with political complications at
the Census Bureau, caused massive delays in the process leading
enumeration to extend into the fall.
Traditionally, the Census Bureau delivers a report with the data
determining congressional apportionment by December 31, followed
by detailed data sufficient for redistricting delivered by April
1 of the year following the Census. This year, however, the
Bureau has announced that redistricting data will not be
available until mid-September, at the earliest. The delay has led
to a very tight timeline to complete local redistricting this
cycle, particularly for local agencies with June elections. As
such, CSAC has been working closely with the Legislature, county
registrars, redistricting advocates, and other local government
organizations to find solutions.
The vehicle for these solutions is Senator Glazer’s
SB 594, which is an urgency bill, meaning it will take effect
as soon as it is passed. Conversations on exactly what
big-picture solutions will be included in the bill have yielded
considerable progress, but are ongoing. However, the bill
currently contains language to clarify that the deadline for
“adopting” maps in current law means the date an ordinance or
resolution is passed by the local government, not its effective
date.
In addition, Senator Glazer requested a formal legislative
counsel opinion on this question.
The issue stems from an interpretation by some local governments
that the deadline in current law to “adopt” districts refers to
the effective date of an ordinance or resolution, which is
generally 30 days after passage. Such an interpretation would
effectively cut 30 days out of the redistricting timeline, which
would be difficult for many local governments to achieve and
would reduce opportunities for public participation. This week
the legislative counsel concluded that the deadline in current
law to “adopt” district maps refers to the date a resolution or
ordinance is passed, not its effective date. This is great news
for counties, and CSAC will continue to engage in all
conversations on redistricting solutions.
If you are interested in learning more about the redistricting
process, CSAC and the Rural County Representatives of California
are hosting a webinar on the topic on April 16. You can
register for the webinar here.
