AnonymousSource: Santa Barbara County
Nearly 200 residents of Santa Barbara County applied to serve as a commissioner on the County of Santa Barbara Citizens’ Independent Redistricting Commission.
In accordance with California Elections Code Section §23003(c), the County Elections Official selected the 45 most qualified applicants based on the criteria and qualifications detailed in the Ordinance. Those names are posted online for 30 days or more for members of the public to view before a random drawing to select the first five commissioners.
On October 20, in a meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the County District Attorney will conduct a random drawing to pick five commissioners from the 45 qualified applicants who are divided into sub-pools representing each of the five supervisorial districts; nine applicants per sub-pool. One commissioner from each of the five district sub-pools will be drawn.
To form a commission of 11 members by December 31, 2020, the five randomly selected commissioners will meet in late October and early November to select finalists from the remaining 40 applicants to interview for appointment. In order to be appointed, an applicant must receive the vote of at least four of the five commissioners. A public hearing will be scheduled to allow for public comment and final appointment of six commissioners, one from each district and one at-large member.
In the November 2018 Statewide General Election, county voters approved Measure G that formed an 11-member independent redistricting commission to establish the electoral district boundaries in Santa Barbara County for the upcoming decade following receipt of the 2020 federal census data, currently scheduled to be received in early April 2021.
The selection process is designed to produce a commission that is independent from the influence of the Board, political parties, campaign contributors or other special financial interests, and reasonably representative of the county’s diversity.
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