Manhattan Residents Can Help Shape Borders Of Electoral Districts

NEW YORK, NY — Manhattan residents have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to help shape the boundaries of the borough's electoral districts in a public hearing that coincides with the upcoming redistricting process.

The Zoom hearing, set for 2 p.m. Monday, July 26, invites Manhattan and Bronx residents to give feedback about New York's congressional and state legislative districts before they are redrawn.

It is hosted by the state commission charged with redrawing those lines following the 2020 Census. New York is guaranteed to lose one congressional seat after coming just 89 people short of keeping all 27 of its districts.

The state commission announced plans earlier this month to hold public hearings to help inform the process — a departure from past years, when redistricting has been done behind closed doors with little public input.

Each of the eight hearings has focused on a different region of the state, starting with Long Island on Tuesday and Queens on Thursday. More than 100 Queens residents joined that meeting, saying they wanted districts to better represent minority ethnic groups, the Queens Eagle reported.

The state plans to release the new district maps by Sept. 15. After that, it will hold another series of public hearings to get feedback.

Sign up to watch or submit comment at the July 26 Manhattan hearing by visiting nyirc.gov/meetings. The deadline to register is 2 p.m. Sunday.