What is the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission?
Earlier this year, CHANGE Illinois, along with diverse, partner community groups and advocates, officially launched the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission, a resident-led independent commission – without ties to city government or alders.
The goal of the commission was to draw a ward map by the people of Chicago, for the people of Chicago.
Wards are the political districts from which city council members are elected in Chicago; these wards must be redrawn every ten years in a process called redistricting required by law after each decennial Census in order to reflect population shifts over time. The independent ward map that the commission produced will offer Chicago a new choice for future representation.
Why you matter and why you should get involved
For decades, Chicago’s ward maps have benefited special interests by giving them more power and control, rather than prioritizing our communities and trying to keep them whole.
Gerrymandering in Chicago frequently has meant carved-up communities. Communities saw this impact clearly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with delays in testing, vaccinations, and access to basic resources.
Redistricting and gerrymandering affect more than elections. When a community is divided up into wards it can alter day-to-day life for many residents who live and work in that community — sometimes even more than a legislative district. Here’s why:
Sociologist Robert Vargas from the University of Chicago has researched the ways in which redistricting—by “redistribut[ing] residential blocks’ access to power and resources from city government”—plays a part in the perpetuation of issues like violence in specific communities. City council members are responsible for how the budget and resources are allocated within a ward and for reported issues like broken street lights, potholes, park maintenance, and public safety. Your ward map can make the difference in simple things like whether your trash is collected as often as your neighbor’s or whether your deteriorating CTA station gets much-needed renovations.
If your community is split up into different wards, your representation and priorities are split up. Just take a look at Englewood and Logan Square—two communities that are split up across many wards. That means any time someone in those neighborhoods has a problem, they first need to determine which ward they’re in before seeking help. They might frequently need to attempt reaching multiple alders to try to get problems solved.
Chicago’s future ward maps must represent the neighborhoods, communities, and people of our great city over the interests of a select powerful few. That’s why we put the people in charge of drawing those maps!
The Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission was invested in 2021 in giving residents the chance to tell it who and what makes up their neighborhood and how they should be represented for the next ten years. Commissioners want to ensure that the city’s diverse communities are heard and kept whole in the ward map as much as possible. Ultimately, commissioners aim to give back to Chicagoans the control over their spaces and livelihoods.
Why do you need to make your voice heard in this process?
The commission, made up of volunteers from around the city, held public hearings for residents to share their input on the process and how the ward borders of communities should be defined to ensure that voices in our communities are heard.
Including public hearings and feedback from people — especially during this unprecedented time of delayed census data — will ensure our next election map is fair and represents our communities. Historically, ward maps have been drawn by council members behind closed doors with little public input.
The commission heard from you and your friends and neighbors!
We invited Chicagoans to submit proposals, testimony, maps and general feedback on how you believe your community should be reflected in Chicago’s 50 wards. You did not need to be a boundary or map expert to give feedback; residents were encouraged to just come talk about their community to the commission and what defines it. Many hearings were virtual and accessible from the comfort of your home.