Making Democracy Work
Census & Redistricting

Ensure the redistricting process is accessible and transparent with timeframes that enable input and strengthen results and support an accurate and complete 2020 Census.


Issue Team Chair: Alison McCaffree, amccaffree@lwvwa.org(253) 720-6813
DOWNLOAD the Census Issue Paper
DOWNLOAD the Redistricting Issue Paper
Interested in getting involved with this topic? Click here! 

Speak Up Schools - Talk to the 2021 Redistricting Commission

For more information go to our page on Speak Up Schools here

Train the Trainer Workshop December 9-17, 2020.
The LWVWA Speak Up School development team is offering a series of training to help Speak Up School facilitators better run their workshops. Sign Up now to attend these fun and informative train the trainer sessions.

Registration Link: speakup.brownpapertickets.com


2020 Legislative Session Wrap Up

(Interested in the 2019 Session Recap? Click Here)

Redistricting reform now moves our focus to the 2021 Washington State Redistricting Commission itself. The Commission will begin its work in January 2021 and end November 15, 2021. We are still fighting to improved citizen trust, transparency, representation and overall effectiveness of the redistricting commission and its processes. 

The next steps: 

    • With the failure of HB 2575: Inform the Commission directly of our desire for transparency and accountability and to maximum opportunity for civic participation by the widest variety of people.
    • Put on Speak Up Schools all over the state and get over 2000 people to testify to the commission in the spring of 2021. For more information go to our page on Speak Up Schools here
    • Draw our own  set of maps and submit them to the commission.  Based on the input we've received from people all over the state, LWVWA will create district maps that are legal and representative. We will work in coalition with many other organizations to form one set of maps with our collective priorities. 

For  future legislative sessions we will be developing the following legislation and possible initiatives:

    • Repeat HB 2575 in preparation for the  2031 redistricting cycle: Improve efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of the 2031 Washington State Redistricting Commission and maximize the impact of public input.
    • Change the composition of the Washington State Redistricting Commission to include citizens who are unaffiliated with the two major parties, greater commissioner diversity including women and people of color and representation from regions outside of Puget Sound.


    Click on Bill # for detailed information.  See UPDATES below.
    Bill League Supported that Has Been Signed Into Law
    • HB 2527  concerns the rights of citizens during the Census. This bill affirms rights related to participating in the decennial census, makes impersonating a census taker a gross misdemeanor, makes mailing materials with the intent to interfere with census operations an unfair trade practice. SHB 2527 passed the Senate 29-20  on March 3. The Governor signed the bill on March 18th and it is effective immediately.  
    Bill League Supported that Did Not Pass
    • ESHB 2575  Modernizing the Redistricting Commission by increasing transparency and accountability; and maximizing public input. 
            3 things you should know about HB 2575:
      • Makes our commission even better by creating full time commissioners, and defining the public input process.
      • Increases trust in the commission’s map drawing process by solicit input from election officials, requiring a minimum of 12 public testimony forums and requiring virtual participation. 
      • Gives people with limited English a better chance to engage with the commission by requiring translation services and notices in major languages.

    UPDATE: ESHB 2575 was voted on in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday 3/2 but did not receive enough Senators signing the official paperwork before midnight deadline.  The bill died there.  

    THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SENT NOTES TO YOUR LEGISLATORS! YOU DID GREAT.
    THEY KNEW THIS BILL WAS A TOP PRIORITY FOR THE LEAGUE. 

    Bills League Watched that Did Not Pass
    • SB 5496 Regarding district boundaries and precincts within them. This bill lays out a deadline for auditors filing changes to precincts and requires that precincts to be wholly outside of or wholly within any city or town; adjusting contiguity requirements as necessary.
    • HB 1396 Regarding changes to the requirements of redistricting maps and adds changes on redistricting commissioners in participating in or donating to campaigns. This bill adds an efficiency gap measurement requirement to ensure there is no extreme partisan gerrymandering. 



    Redistricting Advocacy Powerpoint

    Download the latest Redistricting Advocacy PowerPoint Presentation Here. Click Here. 


    There are a number of other areas of Democracy that we are working on.  Please see Campaign Finance & Government Ethics, Elections, and Election Security.


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