The City of El Paso elects representatives based on geographic boundary. Every ten years, following the national census, the City adjusts those boundaries to ensure that residents have equal representation. Today, the city has eight districts with a council member elected from each district. The mayor is elected citywide.
The Commission needs your help to redraw the council district boundaries.
Be a part of the process and shape El Paso’s future.
Redistricting will change how El Paso residents are represented by City Council and shape how we think about our communities. El Paso’s population has grown and changed since the last Census count in 2010. The new district boundaries will reflect those changes.
Residents who participate will have a chance to shape the new boundaries and ensure that new Council Districts represent all El Pasoans fairly.
If we don't participate, politicians can redraw the voting districts maps as they see fit to guarantee their re-election. This is called Gerrymandering.
So, what is “Gerrymandering?”
Gerrymandering is the practice of setting boundaries of electoral districts to favor specific political interests within legislative bodies, often resulting in districts with convoluted, winding boundaries rather than compact areas. In other words, it’s politicians carving up maps to make sure that communities vote in a certain way. The purpose of gerrymandering is to distort representation. Yikes.
How is redistricting SUPPOSED to happen?
Federal law says that the shape of a district cannot block minority groups from electing candidates of choice.
By extension, redistricting can determine what issues a legislature chooses to tackle and which they ignore. In other words, if you care about local streets maintenance, our property taxes, utility services competition, selecting city managers and other employees and their salaries, contracts awarded, etc; how our districts are drawn are going to help determine if our representatives even take these issues on.
Are you registered to Vote yet? Click on the link below to see if you're registered.
CLICK ON THIS LINK
If you are, join the redistricting process as well, El Paso's Future depends on it.
CLICK HERE
