Altadena's Voting Districts Are Changing: What's That Mean for You?

WHAT: After two years of work, the 14-member California Citizen's Redistricting Commission released draft plans for new congressional and state districts for the entire state on Friday.

 The plans show new boundaries for California's 53 congressional districts, 40 state senate districts and 80 state assembly districts, as well as districts for the state Board of Equalization, which handles taxation issues.

The boundaries are in the draft state now and there will be a public input process.  The final districts will be released in August.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR ME:

 It means you could find yourself part of a new congressional or state district. And it means you could find yourself suddenly part of the majority (or minority) politically.

You can read more about the redistricting process, the commission, and the criteria used for the new districts in our .  Maps of the new and old districts for Altadena are attached at right, and more information on the new districts is listed in the charts attached to this post.  You can view draft districts for the entire state here.

Some observations on the new districts:

• Altadena would get to vote together as one community in this new draft plan.  The congressional vote of the town was .
• In general, the town is now lumped together with other foothill towns, even in the state Senate district, which previously included part of Los Angeles and the West San Fernando Valley.  La Canada Flintridge and Sierra Madre, for example, are in all districts with Altadena.
• Altadena and Pasadena are sort of going their own ways: in the Assembly district, they are separated in this draft plan.  In the Congressional district only northern Pasadena is lumped in with Altadena.  In the state Senate district Altadena and Pasadena are together though.
• We the prospects of redistricting and what it would mean for Anthony Portantino, who wants to run for congress in 2012.  It looks like his natural target, the foothill district, will also include the home of his fellow Democrat, Adam Schiff. 
• The new districts also may be bad news for David Dreier, the current representative of about 10 percent of Altadena.  The foothill district, which covers many of the towns he represents, also includes Adam Schiff's home base in Pasadena, Burbank, and Glendale.  The numbers are not out yet, but it is likely this will be a Democratic majority district now.  His home town of San Dimas is actually in the San Gabriel Valley district, which will also be majority Democrat.