Public redistricting meeting in Monticello
The Utah Independent Redistricting Commission will hold a public meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. this Friday, September 3 at the Hideout Community Center in Monticello.
The Utah Independent Redistricting Commission (UIRC), is tasked with creating maps for congressional, state senate, state house, and school board districts, after which maps will then be submitted to the Utah State Legislature for consideration.
Redistricting is a process that occurs every ten years where states use the most recent census data to designate electoral boundaries within the state.
The UIRC was created through the 2018 passage of Utah Proposition 4 and was modified through compromise legislation (SB200) passed in 2020. The result is an independent advisory commission that enhances the public voice in the redistricting process.
The commission is a bipartisan group composed of seven commissioners – appointed by both Democratic and Republican party leaders – with the chair appointed by Utah’s governor.
The commission will prepare three plans for each type of map. In preparing its maps, the commission is seeking the public’s input on the maps, including what the people of Utah consider their “communities of interest.”
Utahns can participate firsthand in the redistricting process for the first time in the state’s history through UIRC’s new interactive website. Visit the website to explore the 2020 census data, submit formal comments and ideas on the suggested draft maps, and even create your own map.
The hearing in Monticello is the first public meeting. Others will be held throughout the state through October 22
For more information about UIRC, the redistricting process, or to submit a map, visit www.uirc.utah.gov.
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