UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Nov. 1, members of the Pennsylvania Redistricting Advisory Council will hold a public listening session to gather feedback on Pennsylvania and U.S House of Representatives redistricting. The session will be held in Freeman Auditorium in the HUB-Robeson Center from 11 a.m. to noon, and is sponsored by the Center for Character, Conscience, and Public Purpose, a unit of Student Affairs.
Following each U.S. Census, each state draws new district maps to reflect shifting populations between and within states. The maps drawn may change the boundaries of one’s voting district and who serves as one’s representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, since Pennsylvania lost one House seat as a result of the 2020 U.S. Census. The new district maps will be in place for the upcoming primary election in May 2022.
The six-member council was created by executive order of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to provide guidance when he reviews the forthcoming Pennsylvania redistricting plan that is scheduled for a vote by the Pennsylvania legislature later this year. The council includes Penn State faculty members Lee Ann Banaszak and Christopher Fowler as well as faculty members from Gettysburg College, West Chester University, and Drexel University and a former Philadelphia city solicitor.
“We must bring more fairness and transparency to the redistricting process, so every Pennsylvanian is assured their voice is heard…,” said Wolf in a recent press release announcing the formation of the council. “The decisions that are made through the drawing of new district boundaries will affect every person and community in Pennsylvania for the next decade. It is one of my most important acts as governor and I take that responsibility extremely seriously.”
According to Banaszak, “Input from the citizens of Pennsylvania will also be vital to that process, so our role is to bring our expertise, review the public input, and then combine those to provide the governor with some sense of how to think about the new map when it comes across his desk.”
The Governor's Office has created a website that provides more information, including an online public comment portal for those who are unable to attend. Following the listening session, a video recording will also be available on the website.