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Citizens Redistricting Commission
U.S. Department of Justice Gives Pre-Clearance to Commission's Section 5 District Maps |
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Sacramento, CA (January 17, 2012) --
The U.S. Department of Justice today gave pre-clearance to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission for its district maps for counties under Section 5 of the Federal Voting Rights Act. The law requires the Department of Justice to pre-clear district maps in California's four Section 5 counties, Yuba, Monterey, Merced and Kings, before they can be used in the upcoming elections.
"We are pleased that the Department of Justice has found that the Citizens Redistricting Commission complied with the Voting Rights Act in drawing the districts for the Section 5 counties. This decision coupled with the 7-0 unanimous decision by the California Supreme Court again shows that the Commission carefully and diligently followed the law in drawing fair and representative districts. The Commission's careful and deliberative work avoided a situation like in Texas where the U.S. Federal Court has stepped in on the Section 5 issue," said Stan Forbes, the current Chair of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. |
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California's first Citizens Redistricting Commission is a new 14-member Commission charged with redrawing California's Senate, Assembly, State Board of Equalization, and Congressional districts based on information gathered during the 2010 census. The Commission must draw the State Senate, Assembly, State Board of Equalization, and Congressional districts in conformity with strict, nonpartisan rules designed to create districts of relatively equal population that will provide fair representation for all Californians. |
