Proposed Fairfax Election District Maps The Focus Of Upcoming Public Hearing

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA —A public hearing on proposed redistricting of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board election districts will happen in November.

The Board of Supervisors authorized the public hearing for Nov. 9 to consider 64 proposed redistricting maps. The 20-member Redistricting Advisory Committee submitted 24 of the maps, and the remaining 40 were submitted by the public.

Redrawing of local election district boundaries is required by law every 10 years after the U.S. Census to ensure fair representations as populations change. The Board of Supervisors will consider adopting the ordinance on redistricting the electoral boundaries on Dec. 7. If approved, the county attorney will submit the adopted redistricting plan to the Virginia attorney general for certification on Dec. 21, and redistricting would be complete after state certification on Feb. 20, 2022.

When new districts are adopted, they will be in effect for 10 years. Board of Supervisors and School Board members will complete their current terms.

Redistricting will not change school attendance boundaries, or electoral maps for the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress. The state's redistricting commission is in charge of electoral maps for the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress.

Fairfax County currently has nine Board of Supervisors and School Board districts, but state law allows as little as five electoral districts or up to 11 districts. The Redistricting Advisory Committee's own proposed maps include 13 that maintain nine districts, 10 maps with 10 districts, and one with 11 districts. The public submitted 19 plans with nine districts, 15 plans with 10 districts and six plans with 11 districts.

Under the Board of Supervisors’ redistricting criteria, the population difference between the most and least populated districts must be less than 10 percent. According to Census data, the most populated district is the Providence District (139,268), and the least populated is the Mason District (119,416). Overall, the 2020 Census recorded a population of 1,150,856 in Fairfax County, a 69,139 increase since the 2010 Census.

Residents can view the proposed maps online. Those without computer or internet access can visit a public library branch to use a computer. Testimony can be provided before or during the Nov. 9 public hearing to the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors.