For Immediate Release
Contact: Kathryn Pellegrini
(415) 554-4397

San Francisco"s Elections Task Force on Redistricting Calls on San Francisco Residents to Help Draw New District Lines

SAN FRANCISCO, MARCH 21, 2002: San Francisco"s Elections Task Force on Redistricting urges San Franciscans to participate in a series of community meetings running now through April 15, 2002. These meetings are an opportunity for San Francisco residents to voice their opinions on how they feel the new Supervisorial District lines should be drawn. San Francisco"s Supervisorial District map has to be redrawn because of the new data collected in the 2000 census. San Francisco is required by the San Francisco Charter to maintain between a one and five percent equal population ratio amongst each district across the City. The data collected in the 2000 census shows that many San Francisco Supervisorial Districts need to have their populations redistributed in order to comply with this Charter. As a result, the Task Force on Redistricting must present a new map reflecting the population changes to the Board of Supervisors by April 15, 2002.

The community meetings scheduled by the Task Force are opportunities for San Franciscans to learn why district lines change every 10 years and how it will affect their neighborhood. In addition, the community will also learn about the criteria that will be used in determining new district lines and how they can submit a proposal to the Task Force. Finally, these meetings act as a forum for the community to talk about what neighborhoods they feel are essential to their district, and how they believe district lines should be drawn.

Redistricting Community Meetings
So far, meetings have included public discussion ranging from the importance of certain business areas to a particular district, to ethnic and community groups not being split. It is important for the Task Force to hear about such issues from each community, in order to try to facilitate the best interests of each district. The attached schedule outlines the meetings scheduled now through the end of March. Additional neighborhood and City Hall meetings will be announced on the Task Force website as well as through the information phone line.

The nine-member Elections Task Force was established by the Board of Supervisors, pursuant to the San Francisco City Charter, Section 13.110 (d). Panel appointments were made by the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors and by the Elections Commission, as directed by the enabling legislation. The redistricting process must be completed in order for candidates to file for the November 2002 election, at which time new districts take effect. The public can find out about redistricting community meetings through calling 554-7432, visiting www.sfgov.org/redistricting or stopping by the Department of Elections located at the basement of City Hall. Redistricting kits, which enable members of the public to propose their own district lines, are available at meetings, online and at the Department of Elections.