SECTIONS 21500-21506 - California Statutes

ELECTIONS CODE

SECTION 21500-21506

21500. Following each decennial federal census, and using that
census as a basis, the board shall adjust the boundaries of any or
all of the supervisorial districts of the county so that the
districts shall be as nearly equal in population as may be and shall
comply with the applicable provisions of Section 1973 of Title 42 of
the United States Code, as amended. In establishing the boundaries of
the districts the board may give consideration to the following
factors: (a) topography, (b) geography, (c) cohesiveness, contiguity,
integrity, and compactness of territory, and (d) community of
interests of the districts.

21500.1. The board shall hold at least one public hearing on any
proposal to adjust the boundaries of a district, prior to a public
hearing at which the board votes to approve or defeat the proposal.

21501. The boundaries of the supervisorial districts shall be
adjusted by the board before the first day of November of the year
following the year in which each decennial federal census is taken.
If the board fails to adjust the boundaries before the first day of
November following the year in which the federal census is taken, a
supervisorial redistricting commission shall do so before the 31st
day of December of the same year. The adjustment of the district
boundaries shall be immediately effective the same as if the act of
the supervisorial redistricting commission were an ordinance of the
board, subject, however, to the same provisions of referendum as
apply to ordinances of the board.

21502. The supervisorial redistricting commission shall be composed
of the district attorney, who shall be chairman, the county
assessor, and the county elections official if he or she is elected
by the qualified electors of the county, or, if not, the county
superintendent of schools if he or she is elected by the qualified
electors of the county, or, if not, the sheriff.

21503. At any time between the decennial adjustments of district
boundaries, the board may cause a census of the county to be taken as
provided in Section 26203 of the Government Code, and may adjust the
boundaries of the supervisorial districts on the basis of that
census, or on the basis of population estimates prepared by the State
Department of Finance or the county planning department or planning
commission, pursuant to Section 21500.

21504. Any person claiming that the estimates of population used in
the redistricting pursuant to Section 21503 do not reflect the
current population within the district boundaries more accurately
than the most recent census data, may commence an action in the
superior court in declaratory relief to determine that fact. The
action shall be brought within 30 days after the adoption of the
redistricting ordinance.

21505. The board may appoint a committee composed of residents of
the county to study the matter of changing the boundaries of the
supervisorial districts. The committee shall make its report to the
board of its findings on the need for change of boundaries, and the
recommended changes, within six months after the final population
figures determined in each federal decennial census have been
released, but in any event not later than August 1st of the year
following the year in which the census is taken. Recommendations of
the committee are advisory only.

21506. The term of office of any supervisor who has been elected
and whose term of office has not expired shall not be affected by any
change in the boundaries of the district from which he or she was
elected.
At the first election for county supervisors in each county
following adjustment of the boundaries of supervisorial districts, a
supervisor shall be elected for each district under the readjusted
district plan that has the same district number as a district whose
incumbent's term is due to expire.
A change in the boundaries of a supervisorial district shall not
be made within 45 days before the first day for circulating
nomination papers for an election of supervisors in the county or
between the direct primary election and the general election.