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Democracy & Voting Rights

Letter to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission on the existence of Racially Polarized Voting in Orange County, CA

As the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (“Commission”) continues its process of drawing congressional and state legislative districts, it is important to ensure that districts required and protected under the Federal Voting Rights Act (“FVRA” or “VRA”) are designed as such.




Overview: 

The UCLA VRP offers an analysis on the existence of racially polarized voting patterns in Orange County, California, that have made it difficult for Latino preferred candidates to be elected to congressional, state senate, and state assembly seats. Latinos in Orange County are sufficiently large and geographically compact, they exhibit political cohesion and racial bloc voting, and non-Latinos in the area exhibit bloc voting. Therefore, the Commission, to the extent possible, should draw congressional, state senate, and state assembly districts in and around Santa Ana that are over 50% Latino CVAP.