Public Invited to Design Redistricting Maps

From a press release dated April 6, 2011:

Richmond City Council invites residents to submit proposed Richmond Voter District maps to assist the 2011 Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting process

Proposals to be submitted by 5:00 p.m. April 15, 2011; New Redistricting Plan to be adopted by December 31, 2011

(Richmond, Virginia U.S.A) – Richmond City Council invites Richmond residents to submit proposed Richmond Voter District maps for consideration by 5:00 p.m. on April 15, 2011. Proposed maps will assist Council in determining Richmond Voter District boundaries as part of the 2011 Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting process. This is part of the ongoing open public process in which Richmond City Council is working to adopt a new 2011 Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting plan, which will be used as new Richmond Voter District boundaries for the next 10 years, by December 31, 2011.

Proposals are to be based on the 2010 Census population figures for the City of Richmond (available from the U.S. Census website, at www.census.gov). Proposed boundaries should be clearly identifiable and include a listing of census blocks that are assigned to each District. Each district must be as close as possible to the ideal population of 204,214, ideally with a zero percent overall population variance, but preferably no more than 10 percent.

Additionally, proposals are to meet the following criteria (the first five of which are mandatory):

1. Equal population (Making voter districts, as near equal population as possible.)
2. Compactness (Making voter district shapes as closely packed as possible.)
3. Contiguity (Making voter district physically encompassed/connected, which may include spanning water.)
4. Avoidance of split U.S. Census Blocks (Not dividing the smallest geographic unit of census data when forming precincts/districts.)
5. Compliance with the Voting Rights Act (Redistricting Plan must comply with the U.S. Voting Rights Act and be approved by the U. S. Department of Justice
6. The 2011 redistricting plan should, if possible, avoid splits of voting precincts between the Council, School Board, state legislative and congressional election districts.
7. The 2011 redistricting plan should maximize voter convenience and the effective administration of elections.
8. The 2011 redistricting plan should preserve communities of interest.
9. The 2011 redistricting plan should, if possible, consolidate smaller voting precincts so that the number of registered voters in each precinct is at least the statewide average of 2,013.

Proposed Richmond Voter District maps may be submitted the following ways:

1. Sending to: Richmond City Council
2011 Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting
Richmond City Hall; 900 E. Broad St., Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 23219
2. Faxing to 804.646.5468
3. Emailing to steven.skinner@richmondgov.com