2022 City Council Redistricting

Like the state process, local municipalities using district boundaries in elections must also redraw their districts every 10 years because of population changes that the U.S. Census shows.

Redistricting Justice for Washington created locally-focused campaigns to fight for fair redistricting with communities at a local level in cities across the state that went through 2022 City Council redistricting processes.

We focused on the cities of Seattle, Yakima, Spokane, and Everett.

Each city has different redistricting processes, rules, and city council district map structures. So we worked with community leaders and organizations to ensure that voting rights of people of color were protected, and that city council lines across Washington led to fair representation for communities—not partisan or special interests.

 

Redistricting Justice for Seattle

Nov. 18 Final Seattle Redistricting Analysis

Seattle City Council has 7 district-based council members and 2 “at-large” (citywide) council members.

In 2020-2022, an independent and nonpartisan Commission, previously appointed by then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, and the Seattle City Council redrew Seattle’s 7 City Council districts, including the majority-minority District 2.

As of July 19th, Seattle Redistricting Commissioners released each of their own proposals. So—in the interest of increased community engagement, transparency, and equity—we have done the same. Our map at right is a result of engaging over 200 Seattleites and over 20 community-based organizations. Read our press release about it (including the full proposal to the Commission), featuring Asian Counseling and Referral Services and WinWin.

We formed a coalition of over a dozen organizations to ensure fair Seattle City Council district lines and representation.

  • Chief Seattle Club

    Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation Development Authority (SCIDpda)

    Alliance of Pioneer Square

    Washington Community Alliance

    WinWin Network

    Fix Democracy First

    Asian Counseling & Referral Services (ACRS)

    Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

    League of Women Voters Seattle-King County

    Democrats for Diversity and Inclusion

    Asian Pacific Islander American Coalition for Civic Empowerment

    Washington Bus

    Pacific Islander Health Board

    Rainier Beach High School community

    Planned Parenthood NW

Seattle Coalition Goals:

  1. Transparency of Data and Process: Ensure the commission announces the process early and often, and publishes all data sets and values used for making the maps. Additionally the commission should comply with SB 5583 to count incarcerated individuals in their last known address if in Seattle.

  2. Equitable Community Input: Community input gathered equitably and across the city ensuring that all voices are being heard equitably when drawing maps. Ensure South End and Skyway communities are equitably considered in the process.

  3. Keeping communities of interest together. Ensure Black, Indigenous, Asian-Pacific Islander, Latino, and Native community’s voting rights are protected and not diluted. Keep neighborhoods together and not divided. Finally, do not dilute the voting power of young people, renters, working class people, and other marginalized groups.

  4. Prioritize people and communities over incumbent politicians and special interests.

 

Yakima City Council Redistricting

Yakima City Council has 7 district-based council members. This year, Yakima’s 7 City Council districts, including the majority-Latino Districts 1 and 2, were redrawn by the sitting city council.

We worked with community organizations and leaders in Yakima to create a 3rd majority-Latino City Council district that would ensure fair representation for Latino voters.

As of March 8, 2022, a majority of the Yakima City Council voted to create a new 3rd majority-Latino City Council district to be in compliance with Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act. We continued advocating that the city council pass the best possible map for Latino voting rights and all Yakima communities.

 

Spokane City Council Redistricting

Spokane City Council Redistricting

Spokane City Council has 6 district-based council members, with 2 city council members elected by 3 city council districts, and 1 at-large (citywide) city council member. In 2022, Spokane’s 3 city council districts were redrawn by an independent, nonpartisan redistricting commission.

As the Spokane City Council process began, we worked with community members to monitor the redistricting process, and to ensure that Spokane’s communities have fair district lines and representation.

 

Everett City Council Redistricting

Everett City Council has 5 district-based council members and 2 at-large city council members. Everett’s 5 City Council districts were redrawn in 2022 by an independent, nonpartisan redistricting commission.

As the Everett City Council process began, we worked with community members to monitor the redistricting process to ensure fair district lines and representation for communities in Everett.