Redistricting Board Has "ADOPT FINAL REDISTRICTING MAP" Scheduled For Tues PM Nov 2 - But Probably Not Really. Here's What's Going To Happen

[UPDATE November 1, 2021:  Board sent out update Agenda for the week after this was posted and reflects what's discussed here.]

When I saw the Agenda [posted below] for Tuesday I was, like, "They're going to adopt a final map in one day?  They're never going to get all that done."   

I called Peter Torkelson, the Board's Executive Director, and we talked through the agenda.  

Most important point - This is more like an agenda for the week.  They're going to try to get through Agenda Item #9.  Then Wednesday and Thursday do the Mapping Work Sessions where the Board works on the maps.  This work will happen in the Board's office in the University Center. They are trying to work out some sort of Zoom connection, but there will be people working individually, in pairs, etc. with different conversations going on simultaneously.  People will be able to attend the meeting in person.  

Then Friday they want to get to Agenda Item #11 - Adopt Final Redistricting Map. But everything is fluid.  Things could happen faster or slower, but expect a final map by Friday at the latest.

Voting Rights Act Compliance - The board hired a Voting Rights Act (VRA) consultant to review the proposed maps to make sure they are in compliance with the VRA - basically impacts on minority voters, which in Alaska mainly means Alaska Natives.  Ten years ago, Alaska was one of 16 states that needed federal Department of Justice approval before they could finalize their maps.  The US Supreme Court in 2011 in Shelby v Holder said that Sec 5 of the Act was no longer valid and so preclearance is no longer required.  (They'd already gotten it last time before the SC decision.)  So the Board is going to be briefed in Executive Session - I'm not sure why that's necessary because last time the Voting Rights consultant report and questions were done in public - though some part may have been in executive session - and then the Board's attorney will give a summary to the public.

Next - After the districts are 'finalized' - they will "proof read" the maps.  They'll send the maps out to various Municipalities and Boroughs around the state, with whom they've already talked, for them to go through their locations carefully to find any blips - weird census blocks that raise issues such as a house cut in half by a district, odd protrusions that have an unintended negative impact, etc. - that can be corrected.  

Also over the weekend, Eric Sandberg, the tech on loan to the Board from the State, who served these same functions 10 years ago, will create the 'metes and bounds' - the verbal descriptions of each of the districts.  Here's a link to the post from May 15, 2012 where the Board votes to adopt the metes and bounds.  You can see an example of the description of District 1.  There's also a link to the audio of that meeting (about 7 minutes including an opening concert by the Board Chair). Eric Sandberg gives a very brief description of the kinds of corrections he made to the districts - basically moving census blocks that had no population, including some over water.  

And Finally - There will be more to do then next week.  Mainly Senate Pairings and truncation.  Each Senate district comprises of two house districts, so they have to decide which two house districts become a Senate district.  They have to be contiguous house districts. This could have political impacts.  The last Board paired the only African-American Senator, Bettye Davis, out of her Senate seat by pairing her house district in East Anchorage with a house district in Eagle River, adding a much more conservative set of voters.  

Truncation is a more arcane activity. If a "substantial" number of new voters are in a Senate district, then that district has to go up for election in the next election.  The idea is that the new people would be represented by someone they didn't vote for.  How much is 'substantial'?  Peter thought 30% new voters would be an absolute limit, but it could be fewer than that to trigger truncation.  Last time 19 out 20 Senate seats were truncated.  But there's more.

Term Allocation Table - Senate seats are staggered so that only 10 seats are up at any one election.  So that all gets messed up by truncation.  Thus some Senate seats will have to run for election again in 2024. (I'm assuming court cases won't delay the process enough to not go into effect in2022).  There's plenty of partisan hanky-panky potential in this process too.  

Ideally, all this will be accomplished by November 10, because November 11 is Veteran's Day and the day they have to be done by.  

Date: November 2, 2021 Time: 9:00am

Place:

Anchorage Legislative Information Office, Denali Conference Room, 1st Floor 1500 West Benson Blvd, Anchorage 99503

Anchorage LIO meetings: Live Video/Audio Web Stream: www.akl.tvAnchorage LIO: Teleconference public testimony dial-in numbers:

Anchorage 563-9085, Juneau 586-9085, Other 844-586-9085

Agenda
Call to Order and Establish Quorum
Adoption of Agenda
Adoption of Minutes
Public Testimony – will conclude at 10:30am
Dial into one of the phone numbers above and indicate to the operator that you wish to testify
10:30am – Executive Session with Legal Counsel Voting Rights Act Compliance in 2020 Proposed Plans
Voting Rights Act Compliance in 2020 Proposed Plans
Presentation by Matt Singer, Schwabe, Legal Counsel to the Board
Review of Sept 16 Census Physical Delivery Data 
Public Hearing Tour Summary
Review & Discussion: Tasks Ahead, Key Decisions 
Mapping Work Session
Adopt Final Redistricting Map 
Adjournment