Redistricting is the legally required process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts every ten (10) years following completion of the United States census. As populations grow and shift over time, this federal government obligation ensures proportional representation and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

On May 8, 2018, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2018-043, declaring its intention to transition from at-large to district-based City Councilmember elections beginning with the general election in 2020 with only the mayoral remaining at-large.

The City of Vacaville secured the services of Best Best & Krieger, LLP to assist the City with this effort. The legally required criteria that apply to the creation of the districts are:

• Each council district shall contain nearly equal population, with any deviations justified by other traditional redistricting criteria, which are described below.
• A districting plan shall be drawn in a manner that complies with the state and federal Constitutions, the Federal Voting Rights Act and state law.
• Each council district shall not be drawn with race as the predominant factor in violation of the principles established by the United States Supreme Court in Shaw v Reno, 509 U.S. 630 (1993).
• Each council district shall be contiguous, meaning that there are no islands or parts of the district that are not attached to the whole.

 The City Council may also consider other criteria. Additional criteria that have been used in other communities to define districts include:

• Compactness of districts, including their shape and appearance.
• Keeping communities of interest, such as neighborhoods, school attendance boundaries, etc., undivided by a district boundary, to the extent feasible.
• Respecting visible natural and man-made geographical and topographical features when drawing district boundaries, as much as possible.
• Including public facilities in each district, to the extent feasible.
• Including commercial interests in each district, to the extent feasible.

 The above criteria are examples only and may or may not be applicable or appropriate in the City of Vacaville.

Your input is important! The public is encouraged to participate by providing feedback, drawing your own draft map, or attending public hearings. Some or all of the additional criteria options will affect how you elect your Councilmembers for the next ten (10) years.

Comments can be sent via e-mail to district.elections@cityofvacaville.com.

Written input may be dropped off or mailed to the City Clerk at 650 Merchant Street, Vacaville, CA 95688.