Every ten years, following the national census, political jurisdictions throughout the country go through a process called “redistricting.” Redistricting is intended to keep the districts balanced in numbers and fair in representation, as populations change. Where district lines are drawn determines where and for whom residents can vote, and, therefore, which elected officials may or may not be responsive to your requests. The eight maps on this page show the dramatic transformation of our CITY district, Council District 4, over the years, beginning at upper left, in 1952, with a simple rectangle and gradually transforming into the sprawling shape at lower right in 2012. Our district currently is represented by Nithya Raman, only the fifth person to hold the office since 1945.
Currently, the City Redistricting Commission has been holding a series of 17 public hearings to let Angelenos provide input on drawing new City Council Districts. While Los Angeles’ official population has not changed dramatically since the last census (3,800,000 in 2010 vs. 3,890,000 in 2020), there always are valid reasons to reexamine the boundaries. Local populations may have shifted, or existing districts may have become unwieldy. If you’d like to learn more or weigh in, you can attend (and/or participate in) the virtual public hearing being held on September 11. Register and receive a Zoom link at: redistricting2021.lacity.org.
To find out more about your council district and community, go to the City of Los Angeles’ “My Neighborhood Information” at lacity.org/residents. You also can try your hand at drawing maps at districtr.org/event/MapsofLA.
