REDLANDS, Calif. – US states, counties, cities, and towns are embarking on the task of reshaping political boundaries based on the latest population figures released every 10 years. Helping to facilitate the creation of those new district maps through its software is Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, which has equipped Esri Redistricting with the most recent US census data. The software now includes up-to-date census information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“Esri Redistricting allows government customers and the public to develop, analyze, and review proposed plans,” said Dan Henderson, Esri national redistricting products sales lead. “The transparency and openness of the software and process can also help overcome fears of gerrymandering”where legislatures have redrawn district maps in a way as to create unfair advantages for one political party or group.”
Redrawing election district boundaries is integral to creating fair representation from among the country’s elected offices. Built-in checks in the software ensure constitutional compliance. Esri Redistricting enables states and municipalities to share their work with the public, including soliciting residents’ help in crafting their own proposed election boundaries. In 2011, for example, a plan for a school board district boundary in Utah was drawn by a member of the public and later adopted after minor modifications.
“[Esri Redistricting] provides a comprehensive solution for the public to draw redistricting maps and submit their proposals,” said Rong Liu, GIS manager for the City of Sacramento. In California’s capital city, these “community of interest” maps by residents are being viewed and considered by the Sacramento Independent Redistricting Commission through the solution.
Deadlines to complete redistricting maps are expected to be especially tight this year, as their release was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Redrawn districts for legislative and congressional districts typically must be completed ahead of candidate filing deadlines for the next primary elections.
The latest 2020 Census data is integrated into the solution for both Esri’s enterprise and software as a service (SaaS) customers.
For more resources, including tutorials on how to use Esri Redistricting, visit esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/esri-redistricting/resources.
About Esri
Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com.
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