Definitions for redistricting rules

As used in this chapter: “Bizarre council district shape” means a council district that is drawn to have a very odd or grotesque shape, that has absurdities or is ridiculous in design, may cause grotesque projections into another district, may add an area that defies logic as to why it was included, or is so weird on its face that it is unexplainable on grounds other than gerrymandering. “Commission” means the redistricting commission. “Commissioner” means one of the nine members of the commission, duly appointed in the manner prescribed in section 13-4 of the Charter. “Community of interest” or “community of common interest” means a group defined by actual shared interests. “Council district deviation” means the number of percentage points plus or minus 5.99 percent that a population assigned to a council district differs from that of an ideal council district’s population. “Fracturing” or “cracking” means drawing council district lines so that a minority population is broken up and spread among as many council districts as possible, keeping them a minority in every council district, rather than permitting them to concentrate their strength enough to elect representatives in some council districts. “Gerrymander” means the process of drawing council districts with odd or bizarre shapes to create an unfair advantage. “Ideal council district’s population” means the total number of the County’s permanent residents divided by the number of council districts. “Minority population” means a group with similar demographics or characteristics that may share but not be limited to: ethnicity, political preferences, a socio-economic group, or a community of interest or community of common interest. “One person, one vote” means using a benchmark against which the residents of the County may measure democracy; the vote of each resident shall be as equally powerful as practicable and the population shall be divided as equally as practicable as to the County’s permanent resident population so that each person and each interest has an equal amount of representation in government. “Packing” means drawing council district boundary lines so that the members of the minority population are concentrated, or “packed,” into as few council districts as possible, resulting in a super-majority of that minority population in the packed council district. 36-1 SUPP. 5 (1-2019) “Permanent resident” for census purposes means a person who is domiciled in the County for other than a temporary or transitory purpose. No person shall be deemed to have gained or lost a residence simply because of a person’s presence or absence in compliance with military or naval orders of the United States, or while engaged in aviation or navigation, or while a student at any institution of learning. “Plan” means a redistricting plan proposed by the commission or any alternative plan submitted by the public. “Practicable” means reasonably capable of being accomplished, possible or feasible. “Redistricting” means establishing the boundaries of the council districts, which shall have approximately equal resident populations as required by applicable constitutional provisions. “Redistricting cycle” means that period of time when the United States Census Bureau conducts a census of the population of the United States of America in the census year followed by redistricting in the redistricting year, and culminates with the next general election following redistricting. “Region” means one of six geographical areas which includes: Puna, comprised of Upper and Lower Puna; Kona, comprised of North and South Kona; Kohala, comprised of North and South Kohala; Hilo, comprised of North and South Hilo; Ka‘ū; and Hāmākua. “Socio-economic group” means a group that shares both economic and social characteristics. “Standard of fairness principles” means that the commission shall use honesty, morality, and fairness in its decisions regarding redistricting. “Total deviation” means the overall range used to measure the population equality of a plan; the difference between the council district with the most negative percentage deviation and the council district with the most positive percentage deviation. “United States census year” means those years ending in the numeral zero such as 2010, 2020, etc. “Vote dilution” means the limitation of the effectiveness of a particular group’s vote by political gerrymandering. (2011, ord 11-29, sec 2; am 2018, ord 18-98, sec 2.)36-1 Article 2. Training.