The Commission that will Redraw California’s Political District Lines after the 2020 Census is looking for a few good Men, and a whole lot more good Women, Latinos, and Asian Americans.

A lack of Diversity in a Group designed to represent All of California is a growing concern as the Aug. 9th Deadline for Applications nears for the Panel that will Draw New Boundaries for Congressional and State Legislative Districts.

The State’s Citizens Redistricting Commission has received more than 7,800 Applications for the 14 Spots on the Commission, and Men vastly Outnumber Women, 60% to 39%. The rest of the Applicants have Registered as “non-binary.”

The Gender imbalance is a problem in coming up with an Applicant Pool “that’s reflective of California and its diversity,” said Margarita Fernández, a Spokeswoman for the State Auditor’s Office, which is responsible for putting together the Panel that will handle the Post-2020 Redistricting.

Diversity is important not just by Gender, but also by Political Party, Geography, Ethnicity, and even Economic Status, Fernández said. And Gender isn’t the only place where the Applicant Pool is Out of Balance.

Only 22% of the Applicants are Registered to No Political Party or Minor Parties, far less than their 33% Statewide Registration, according to Statistics released by the State Auditor.

But the real Disparity shows up in the Ethnic and Racial Balance. Two-thirds of the Applicants are White, in a State where Anglos made up only 37% of the Population. By contrast, about 13% of the Applicants are Latino, far below their 39% of the State’s Population. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are also Underrepresented in the Applicant Pool, although the Number of Black Applicants is almost exactly the Same as their Percentage of California’s Population.

Even Overall Applications are down. With the Deadline for the First Round of Commission Applications a little more than Two weeks away, the 7,800 People who have Submitted their Names are far short of the 30,000 People who Applied 10 years ago.

The Numbers are worrisome for Groups concerned that Minority Communities could be Cut Out of the Mix when it comes to Appointing the Commission Members next year.

In a Letter to State Auditor Elaine Howle on Tuesday, Members of the Redistricting California Collaborative called for Extending the Aug. 9th Application Deadline until the End of September. “California voters only get one shot every 10 years to draw the lines that shape our future,” the Letter said. “We, the people, want a chance to make a real impact for our families, neighborhood and state.”

Candidates for the Citizens Redistricting Commission:

- Must be a Voter who has been Registered to the same Party, or with No Party, since July 1st, 2015.

- Must have Voted in Two of the Past Three General Elections.

- Can’t be Staffer or Relative of the Governor or any Member of Congress, the Legislature, or the State Board of Equalization. They also can’t be a Contractor or Consultant for Anyone on those Elected bodies.

- Can’t have Contributed $2,500 or More to Any State or Local Candidate in any Calendar year.

- Can’t be a Registered State or Federal Lobbyist.

- Can’t be a State or Federal Officeholder or Candidate.

- Can’t be an Employee or Paid Consultant for a California Political Party.

- Can’t be on the Campaign Committee of a Candidate for State or Federal Office.

- Can’t be a Member of a Political Party Central Committee.

Extending the Deadline would give Community Groups time to Recruit Applicants, said Rey Lopez-Calderon, Executive Director of California Common Cause, one of the Groups that sent the Letter. “We need differing views on the commission, and not just ethnic views,” he said. “Women are severely underrepresented, and we need people who know the different parts of the state.”

The Auditor’s Office spent about $3 Million for Outreach 10 years ago and is just starting to run Radio, Print, and Social Media Ads to persuade more People to Apply for the Commission, said Fernández, the Auditor’s Spokeswoman. “A number of applications came in late last time,” she said. “We’re already beginning to see a surge this week.”

To Lopez-Calderon, those Efforts show the effect of an Application Period that was trimmed to about Two months this year, from about Nine months in the 2010 cycle. “Ten years ago, we had time to plan the rollout,” he said. “We could funnel in qualified candidates already participating in the community, which you can’t do with a radio ad.”

This is the Second time out for the Redistricting Commission. It was Created by 2008’s Proposition 11, which was designed to take the Politics out of what has always been a nakedly Partisan Job.

The Measure, which Passed over Objections from both Republican and Democratic Leaders, moved the Responsibility for Redistricting from the Legislature to a Multi-Partisan Citizens Group with Five Democrats, Five Republicans, and Four Members from Outside the Two Major Parties.

The 14 Commission Members will be paid about $300 for every day they’re on the Job, plus Expenses. “There are lots of requirements, but (the process) was designed to be very transparent and to filter out any potential conflicts,” Fernández said.

The Initial Application takes only about Five or 10 minutes to fill out, she said, but the Secondary One is much more Detailed, asking about the Skills and Background Applicants would bring to the Commission.

Plans call for the Number of Applicants to be Trimmed to 40 by April 2020, with the Final 14 Selections made by Aug. 15th, 2020. The Commission will have to Redraw Congressional and Legislative District Boundaries in time for the 2022 Elections.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker