The Long Beach Independent Redistricting Commission will start the process of redrawing City Council district lines in the coming months, a process that could determine who can vote in what elections and who can run as changes to current district lines are expected due to population growth and loss in different parts of the city.

The redistricting process is completed every decade and relies on federal Census data, which is delayed this year due the pandemic and other factors. Data that the commissioners need before they start the discussions of what new lines could look like is expected to be released in September. In the mean time, the commission is holding outreach meetings to gather information from residents on communities of interest that they think should be kept together, or united during this process.

Independent Redistricting Commission Chair Alejandra Gutierrez and Redistricting Partners owner Paul Mitchell joined the Long Beach Post Monday Aug. 9 to talk about the process, how the community can get involved and the work left to do before final maps are submitted to county election officials later this year.

The redistricting commission is asking for residents to help them identify communities of interest. A link to an online mapping tool and a tutorial on how to use it can be found here.