2021-08-02 2021 Redistricting Process Criteria PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
RESOLUTION# 2021-08-02
ADOPTION OF 2021 REDISTRICTING PROCESS CRITERIA
The following Resolution was adopted at the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors'
("Board") Regular Business Meeting on August 17, 2021:
WHEREAS, redistricting is the process of redrawing lines for local election districts and
precincts and establishing polling places; and
WHEREAS, the Constitution of Virginia requires any locality that conducts elections by
district to change its district boundaries every ten(10) years in the year ending in one (1); and
WHEREAS, the Code of Virginia requires localities to use the most recent decennial
population figures from the U.S. Census for the purposes of redistricting and reapportionment;and
WHEREAS, the Virginia Redistricting Commission is responsible for redistricting the
congressional and state election districts; and
WHEREAS, the Board is responsible for redistricting the local election districts and
precincts;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board hereby adopts the following
criteria to guide the Board in its efforts to revise local election district boundaries:
• Election districts shall be"as nearly equal in population as practicable."
• Election district populations shall not exceed five percent(5%) less or five percent
(5 %) more than the ideal district population.
• Election districts shall be drawn in a way that assures equal opportunities for racial
and ethnic communities to participate in the political process and shall not diminish
their right to elect candidates of their choice, as mandated by the Voting Rights Act.
• Election districts shall be compact and contiguous, with due regard to natural
features and accessibility of voting places.
• Election district boundaries shall follow clearly observable boundaries.
• Election districts shall avoid splitting precincts, as precincts must be wholly
contained within single congressional, state, and local election districts.
• Election district boundaries shall preserve communities of interest,to the maximum
extent possible. A community of interest means a neighborhood or any
geographically defined group of people living in an area who share similar social,
cultural, and economic interests.
• Election district boundaries shall recognize incumbency of both the Board and the
School Board, to the maximum extent permissible under law and consistent with
the other criteria, so that existing incumbent office holders remain in separate
districts.
• Election district boundaries shall maintain existing boundary lines,where possible,
if existing locations can be reasonably accommodated.
• Election district boundaries shall be politically fair to not unduly favor or disfavor
any political party.
• The redistricting process should result in meeting the basic representational and
constitutional requirement of"one person, one vote," as applied by the Supreme
Court in Reynolds v. Sims.
Given under my hand this 17th day of August, 2021.
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'• � Robert("Bob") W. Warren
•
Chairman, Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors
• W Attes •
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Y+- vid M. Smi erman
Clerk, Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors