On Friday, the Citizens’ Redistricting Commission revealed their draft maps, the first glimpse the public has had at the maps that the fourteen-member commission has drawn over the last several months.
Looking at the maps, average voter analysis may extend as far as trying to discover which district their house has been drawn in to. Others might look to find out who will represent their parents now, too.
But in local government, where the webs of influence can be dramatically altered by being drawn into new districts, or being divided from other communities of interest, the stakes are much higher.
Meridian Maps went live on Friday, providing a single-source host of not only the maps published by the Citizens’ Redistricting Commission, but it also has several other groups’ proposed maps, including ones drawn by the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans for Fair Redistricting; the California Institute for Jobs, Economy, and Education; and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
The consulting firm Meridian Pacific, which hosts Meridian Maps, was widely quoted in news outlets across the state on Friday, as reporters were looking to better understand how these maps were drawn, and what their implications are.
In a Los Angeles Times article, Matt Rexroad, a partner at Meridian Pacific, cautioned that the maps that were released are subject to change, so the redistricting process is not nearly complete yet.
Matt Rexroad, a Sacramento-based Republican consultant, cautioned that the maps are subject to change. But if the lines hold, he said, "There are three to five Republican members of Congress who don’t return."
"We will see more competitive races without a doubt," Rexroad said. "Once these seats are a little bit more exposed to the waves that go across the country … you will start seeing some changes."
You can take a look at all of the proposed changes at Meridian Maps.