Redistricting
Draft Maps & Publicly Submitted Maps
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* We are no longer accepting publicly submitted maps for the Board's consideration. The two finalist maps under consideration at the November 30, 2021 hearing will be posted on November 24, 2021.
Every ten years, supervisorial districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each Board of Supervisors member represents about the same number of constituents. Redistricting is done using U.S. Census data, which is usually released around March 31 of the year after the Census is conducted, but is expected to be delayed until September of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the County of San Luis Obispo, the redistricting process must be completed by December 15, 2021.
Why is redistricting important?
Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a supervisorial district for purposes of electing a Board of Supervisor member. You have an opportunity to share how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community.
What criteria will be used when drawing district lines?
District lines will be adopted using the following criteria in order of priority:
- To the extent practicable, supervisorial district boundaries shall be 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 regular ferry service are not contiguous.
- To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of any local neighborhood or local community of interest shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division. A “community of interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single supervisorial district for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Communities of interest do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
- To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of a city or census designated place shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division.
- Supervisorial district boundaries should be easily identifiable and understandable by residents. To the extent practicable, supervisorial districts shall be bounded by natural and artificial barriers, by streets, or by the boundaries of the county.
- To the extent practicable, and where it does not conflict with the preceding criteria in this subdivision, supervisorial districts shall be drawn to encourage geographical compactness in a manner that nearby areas of population are not bypassed in favor of more distant populations.
Besides the above criteria, districts shall not be drawn for purposes of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent, political candidate, or political party.
General Public Comment
You may provide live public comments on the day of any Board hearing or redistricting public workshop. You may also submit general public comment by emaling [email protected] or by submitting your comment using our online form.
Submit Public Comment
Submit Proposed Maps
You may submit proposed district maps or Community of Interest maps using the District-R mapping tool or by emailing [email protected]. You may also submit comments regarding a Community of Interest by completing our online form.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau attempts to count every person living in the United States. The latest Decennial Census was conducted in 2020. The census provides a snapshot of how many people there are and where they live. Following the Decennial Census, San Luis Obispo County must divide its population into five reasonably equal Supervisorial Districts. This is called redistricting
As United States citizens, we have the privilege and right to elect our own representatives. As the County’s population grows, the Supervisorial boundaries must be adjusted to account for shifts in population and demographics to ensure that voters in each Supervisorial District have an equal voice in electing their representatives. The elected representatives are responsible for public policy and funding decisions that impact the lives of County residents, such as law enforcement, hospitals, public works, children and family services and public social services to name a few.
The redistricting effort will be conducted by a multi-departmental County staff team from the Administrative Office, Planning and Building , County Counsel, Public Works, Information Technology and the County Clerk/Recorder. The Board of Supervisors will ultimately vote after public hearings to consider draft maps and will approve final maps and a redistricting plan. The process will include public outreach and engagement of communities of interest during public hearings and workshops.
Questions regarding the County's redistricting process may be directed via email to [email protected] or by phone at 805-781-1085.
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