“Redistricting has been painful and not fun,” said Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) at the January meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B.
Ward 6 changed dramatically during the decennial process, during which electoral boundaries were redrawn according to census data. Hill East east of 15th Street is now part of Ward 7; much of Navy Yard is now part of Ward 8.
But more change is coming: ANC redistricting will take place from January through March, Allen said.
Redistricting must be complete by Mar. 31 so recommendations can be sent to the DC Council Subcommittee on Redistricting, and then to DC Council for two votes in April. The package then goes to the Mayor’s desk for signature before going to Congress for review.
If it seems like a tight timeline, it is: the DC Board of Elections (DCBOE) must update all maps and materials in time for candidates to collect materials in advance of the June 2022 primary election.
Each ward creates a task force to think about what future ANCs and each of their Single Member Districts (SMDs), the area represented by each individual commissioner, will look like.
There are currently about 40 commissions with nearly 300 single-member districts represented by a commissioner. The numbers and names are likely to change together with the Ward boundaries.
Allen said the Ward 6 task force will not include sitting commissioners. Anyone on that task force must also commit to not run as an ANC commissioner in the November 2022 election.
A cross-ward ANC, including neighborhoods in both Wards 6 and 7 or 6 and 8 is not off the table, Allen said. While most councilmembers have not ruled it out, Allen said, he cautioned that both ward representatives as well as multiple stakeholders would have to be on board.
Task forces will be holding independently-operated virtual meetings with support from the District Office of Planning (OP) which holds the data on which these decisions will be based.
Former commissioners, residents and neighborhood leaders interested in being part of that task force should email CAllen@dccouncil.us. Allen said he welcomes feedback from residents and those interested in joining task force.
ANCs can also make official recommendations for ANC and SMD boundaries. Allen said that ANCs might best make formal recommendations during their March meeting but still have time to comment at their April meetings, after the task force completes its work.
If you’re interested, don’t delay: task force members are expected to be named the week of Jan. 17. The schedule for meetings has not yet been set, but the dates will take place over the next 2 months and will be shared widely with the public.
Commissioner Corey Holman (6B06) noted that you can still find the records from the blog authored by the 2010 Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force here: http://w6tf.blogspot.com/
