This section defines specific terms used within a chapter concerning redistricting in Orange County, California. It clarifies that the 'Board' refers to the Board of Supervisors of Orange County. The 'Commission' is the Citizens Redistricting Commission established by a related section. 'Immediate family member' includes a spouse, child, in-law, parent, or sibling.

This law establishes a Citizens Redistricting Commission in Orange County. After each federal census, this commission is responsible for adjusting the boundaries of the county's supervisorial districts according to specific rules.

This law establishes a commission in Orange County, California, that must be created by the end of each year ending in zero, starting in 2030. The commission is intended to be independent and representative of the county's diversity.

The commission will have 14 voting members and 2 nonvoting alternates, with political party preferences proportionally reflecting those of the county's registered voters, though exact matches aren't required. Members must reside in different supervisorial districts and meet specific qualifications, including continuous voter registration and voting history.

Prospective members can apply, and the county elections official vets the applicants, selecting the 60 most qualified based on set criteria. Candidates are then publicly listed for 30 days, during which they can be excluded if they don't meet qualifications.

Following this, the official creates subpools for each district, from which commissioners are randomly drawn. The eight commissioners then select additional members to ensure diversity, considering experience and impartiality, without applying strict ratios.

The law outlines how commission members should handle the redistricting process impartially to maintain public trust. Alternates can attend meetings and comment but can't vote unless appointed as full members. Commission members hold office until the next commission's first member is appointed. A quorum is nine members, and action requires nine votes. Members must attend all public hearings and internal meetings; absence may lead to removal for interfering with duties. Consultants advising the commission must disclose any conflicts of interest, and the commission weighs these against their qualifications. Each member is subject to conflict of interest rules as designated by Orange County.

This section outlines the process for establishing single-member supervisorial districts in a county. The commission must use a mapping process that prioritizes creating districts with equal populations, adhering to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Districts should be contiguous and respect city and community boundaries without favoring any political parties or candidates. Before drawing a map, the commission needs to hold public hearings, ensuring public participation, possibly through virtual settings if health restrictions apply, and providing live translations when needed. Public comments are encouraged and draft maps must be posted online for further input. Final maps, and all data used, are public records. The commission must also file the adopted map with the elections official and provide a report explaining their decisions. The process includes access to redistricting data for public involvement and requires transparency in materials, all translated into applicable languages, with adequate funding and staffing support from the board. The plan can be contested through a referendum process similar to ordinances.

If you are a member of the commission, you cannot publicly support or make campaign contributions to candidates for Orange County positions.

You also can't run for Orange County office within five years of your appointment, or if the election uses district boundaries you helped create, unless they have been changed after your term.

For four years after your appointment, you cannot work as staff, get quick contracts, or register as a lobbyist for the county. Additionally, you cannot take a county office appointment within two years of your appointment.

This law explains how a commission can remove one of its members. A member can be removed for neglect of duty, misconduct, if they are unqualified, or if they make it so the commission can't function properly. Nine votes are needed to remove a member, with at least three votes each from members of two different political parties. Members facing removal can't vote on the process.

Before being removed, the member must receive written reasons for the proposed removal, notice of the meeting where the vote will take place, and a chance to respond in writing and at the meeting. The commission can hire legal help for this process. Once a decision is made, it is final and cannot be appealed or taken to court.

If a commission member leaves their position through resignation or removal, the commission's chair will choose an alternate member to take over as a voting member. This new member must share the same political party preference as the person they are replacing.

If there are fewer than nine voting members on the commission, the County of Orange's Auditor-Controller must gather qualified applicants within a month to fill the vacancies. The applicants must meet certain criteria from Section 21582. The remaining commission members then have two weeks to appoint new members from this pool by a two-thirds majority vote. Importantly, the new members must share the same political party preference as the individuals they are replacing.