2021 PROPOSED REPRECINCTING PLAN
Request for Public Feedback
Sept 30, 2021 – The Election Commission is seeking feedback from the public regarding its proposed reprecincting plan. Members of the public are invited to join the Board of Election Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at 5:30pm via Zoom. The Current Ward and Precinct Map (based on 2010 census), Proposed Ward and Precinct Map (based on 2020 census), Proposed Map with Current Precinct Boundary Overlay, and the 2020 Population by Census Block Map can be viewed at https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/ElectionCommission/Reprecincting
Current Ward and Precinct Map (based on 2010 census)
Proposed Ward and Precinct Map (based on 2020 census)
Written comments, questions, or suggestions can be sent by email to elections@cambridgema.gov or by mail to 51 Inman Street, Cambridge, MA 02139. Written comments should be submitted by Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 5:00pm to be considered at the 5:30pm meeting.
2021 Cambridge Reprecincting Proposal
The population of Cambridge increased from 105,162 in 2010 to 118,403 in the 2020 US Census, however, the changes were not evenly distributed throughout the city. Some precincts increased dramatically in population, while others stayed the same or decreased. With 33 precincts, each precinct must have a population within 5% of 3,588. Any change that is made in one precinct has a cascading effect on the entire map as other precincts will need to be adjusted to keep the population of every precinct within that range.
The Board of Election Commissioners took a number of factors into consideration in creating this proposal, such as minimizing the number of voters who need to cross major thoroughfares in order to vote and keeping most voters in the same precincts whenever possible. It should be noted that reprecincting changes will not take effect until the 2022 elections. Some of the current polling locations may be changed in 2022 in order to better accommodate voters under the new map.
What is Reprecincting?
Every ten years after the Federal Census is complete, new ward and precinct boundary lines are drawn to reflect changes in the City’s population and to anticipate the needs of the City’s election system for the next decade.
Voting precincts established by a city or town must meet the following requirements:
- Each new precinct must be “composed of compact and contiguous territory” without protruding fingers or long tails to the extent possible.
- Precincts must be bounded by the center-line of streets or other well defined boundaries such as streams or other bodies of water, railroad tracks, power lines or other clearly visible geographic figures.
- No precinct may contain more than 4,000 residents.
- Every precinct’s population must be within five percent (5%) of the average precinct population for that ward or town.
- Ward populations must be within five percent (5%) of the average ward population for the city.
- Redrawn ward and precinct boundaries must not result in the dilution of minority group members’ votes.