City of Irvine Begins Pursuit of District-Based Elections

All City of Irvine registered voters currently vote for the Mayor and all four City Councilmembers.
Upon completion of the districting process, the City of Irvine would have six separate voting districts. Beginning in 2024, each voter would vote for the Mayor and one Councilmember to represent the district they live in.

To ensure each district has roughly the same number of residents, local governments use data from the Census to guide the establishment of districts. Members of the Irvine community are encouraged to participate in the districting process to ensure district lines respect neighborhoods, history, and geographic elements.

Residents can get involved by attending public hearings and community workshops, sharing their thoughts on communities that should be kept together in a single district, submitting a map of proposed district lines, and eventually providing feedback on other draft maps drawn by the community and National Demographics Corporation, the City’s professional demographer.

As required by law, the City of Irvine will hold five public hearings:

• April 11, 2023 at 6 p.m. – First Public Hearing, City of Irvine Council Chamber
• May 9, 2023 at 6 p.m. – Second Public Hearing, City of Irvine Council Chamber
• July 11, 2023 at 6 p.m. – Third Public Hearing, City of Irvine Council Chamber
• September 12, 2023, at 6 p.m. – Fourth Public Hearing, City of Irvine Council Chamber
• October 10, 2023 at 6 p.m. – Fifth Public Hearing, City of Irvine Council Chamber

In addition, the City is hosting community workshops to give residents an opportunity to learn more about the tools available to draw maps, ensure their community is fairly represented, and connect with others engaged in the district formation process.

• April 15, 2023 at 10 a.m. – City of Irvine Council Chamber, 1 Civic Center Plaza
• April 15, 2023 at 2 p.m. – Great Park Artist Studio, 8000 Great Park Blvd.
• April 22, 2023 at 10 a.m. – Quail Hill Community Center, 39 Shady Canyon Dr.
• April 22, 2023 at 2 p.m. – Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale Ave.
• April 26, 2023 at 6 p.m. – Virtual via Zoom
• May 13, 2023 at 3 p.m. – South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, 9 Truman St.
• May 27, 2023 at 10 a.m. – Lakeview Senior Center, 20 Lake Road

A second round of workshops will be held July through September.

To help share information about the district formation process, gather maps drawn by the public, and collect public feedback, the City of Irvine has launched a dedicated district formation website: DrawIrvine.org. The website includes background information about district formation, a schedule outlining public meetings and deadlines, frequently asked questions, resources for drawing maps, and details on how to get directly involved in the district formation process. As the process moves forward in the coming months, Irvine will continue to update the website to include additional information on upcoming meetings and events.

To view specific workshop dates and locations and to learn more about districting, visit DrawIrvine.org.
Language interpretation and requests for disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or devices, may be arranged by emailing a request to districting@cityofirvine.org at least 72 hours prior to each meeting.

Please contact the City of Irvine at districting@cityofirvine.org or 949-724-7575 for questions, comments, and map suggestions.

Since its incorporation in 1971, Irvine has become a nationally recognized city, with a population of 310,250 that spans 66 square miles and is recognized as one of America’s safest and most successful master-planned urban communities. Top-rated educational institutions, an enterprising business atmosphere, sound environmental stewardship, and respect for diversity all contribute to Irvine’s enviable quality of life. This family-friendly city features more than 16,000 acres of parks, sports fields and dedicated open space and is the home of Great Park. For more information, please visit cityofirvine.org.