COLUMBIA, S.C. — State lawmakers are tasked with redrawing district lines when population data from the U.S. Census Bureau is released each decade. The goal is for each district to roughly have the same number of people in it.
For citizens, which lawmaker represents you and who you vote for in local elections depends on which district you live in.
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Redistricting Subcommittee has scheduled 10 public hearings around the state to hear from residents what things should be considered in redrawing district lines.
All public hearings will be held from 6:30-8:30 pm. Here is the schedule:
- Columbia Public Hearing: July 27 - Gressette Building, SC State House grounds
- Sumter Public Hearing: July 28 - Central Carolina Technical College
- Rock Hill Public Hearing: July 29 - York Technical College
- Greenville Public Hearing: August 2 - Greenville County Council Chambers
- Florence Public Hearing: August 3 - Florence-Darlington Technical College
- Beaufort Public Hearing: August 4 - Technical College of the Lowcountry
- Orangeburg Public Hearing: August 9 - Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College
- Charleston Public Hearing: August 10 - Trident Technical College
- Conway Public Hearing: August 11 - Horry-Georgetown Technical College
- Aiken Public Hearing: August 12 - Aiken Technical College
These hearings will not be to propose plans. Officials say that opportunity will be available at a later time. After the meetings, lawmakers will draft up plans and hope to have the maps finalized by October.
You may attend the public hearings and speak either online or in person. To sign up to testify, email redistricting@scsenate.gov, call 803-212-6634, or sign up online or in person at any of the hearings.
To help prepare for the hearings, officials ask you to send an online request to speak by 12:00 p.m. the day before the scheduled public hearing you will attend.
If you attend a hearing in person, a form will be available to sign up to speak at that location. A single request, either online or in person, is all that is needed to speak at a public hearing.
Maps will be available online and at the hearings to help speakers identify specific areas they wish to discuss.
If you are not able to attend a public hearing, you may still submit information to the subcommittee by mail at P.O. Box 142, Columbia, S.C. 29202 or email at redistricting@scsenate.gov.
Visit the South Carolina Senate redistricting website for updates as they become available.