GIS/Public Redistricting Interface

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act requires that all changes to voting districts and boundaries must be approved by the United States Department of Justice prior to implementation. Changes must demonstrate that there are no retrogressive effects on language minority communities as a result of the proposed modifications. In many states including Arizona, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act has created controversial situations that have prompted local governments to ask for community input. In response, Maricopa County created an online tool that allowed residents to create a redistricted map that they think would be fair. Using the online GIS utility, users created an account and password that allowed them to either start from scratch and draw their own districts or to utilize existing districts as their base and make changes to the current lines. In addition to this, voters could choose from a variety of maps that gave them a different perspective on the redistricting process. The website was a success with nearly a thousand unique visitors. Although many users signed up to use the tool, only a handful submitted maps. However, all submitted maps were carefully reviewed and taken into consideration in the drawing of the final lines.