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ACW AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION Southern California February 1, 2021 Sent Via Email Santa Ana City Council 22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 eComment&santa-ana.org Re: Public Comment: Support for Santa Ana Redistricting Coalition Maps February 1,2022, City Council Meeting,Agenda Item No. 16 Dear Members of the Santa Ana City Council: The American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU)Foundation of Southern California supports SARC Map V and SARC Map 2.2 As explained in more detail in the map narratives,the SARC maps were created by community members throughout Santa Ana,including individuals served by Latino Health Access, Orange County Environmental Justice (OCEJ),Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO), and VietRISE. These organizations and their members form the Santa Ana Redistricting Coalition(SARC). Both maps follow state and federal redistricting criteria that help ensure that district lines are fair.Because the maps are legally compliant and are supported by ethnically and geographically diverse residents in Santa Ana,we urge you to adopt SARC Map I or SARC Map 2. The Fair and Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities and Political Subdivisions Act(Fair Maps Act)requires the City Council to, in order of priority: comply with the federal requirement that districts be substantially equal in population, comply with Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act(VRA), and create districts that are geographically contiguous,maintain communities of interest,have boundaries that are easily identifiable and understandable by residents,and are compact. Cal. Elec. Code §§ 21621(a)-(c). Both maps meet the federal requirements identified in the Fair Maps Act.See id. §§ 21621(a)& (b). The districts in both draft maps are substantially equal in population. In both maps the total deviation from the ideal population size is under 5%,well below the allowable 10%deviation. White v. Regester, 412 U.S. 755, 764(1976)(holding that deviations of under 10%are presumptively constitutional). Section 2 of the VRA prohibits district lines that dilute the voting strength of minority communities. 52 U.S.C. § 10301(a).Neither SARC map impermissibly dilutes the Asian or Latino vote through packing or cracking. The maps also do not violate the constitutional prohibition against racial gerrymandering. See Shaw v. Hunt, 517 U.S. 899, 905 (1996)(prohibiting the use of race as the predominant redistricting factor absent a compelling government interest). While the SARC identified various communities of SARC Map 1 submission and narrative is available at:https://publicdocs.santa- ana.org/weblink/l,1,1,1,1,1,1,1.1/doc/130677/Pa eg l.aspx. z SARC Map 2 submission and narrative is available at:https://publicdocs.santa- ana.org/weblink/l,1,1,1,1,1,1,1.1/doc/130675/Pa eg l.aspx. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Hector 0.Villagra CHAIR Marla Stone VICE CHAIRS Sherry Frumkin and Frank Broccolo CHAIRS EMERITI Shari Leinwand Stephen Rohde Danny Goldberg Allan K.Jonas* Burt Lancaster' Irving Lichtenstein,MY Jarl Mohn Laurie Ostrow* Stanley K.Sheinbaum* *deceased 1313 WEST EIGHTH STREET • SUITE 200 • LOS ANGELES, CA 90017 • T 213.977.9500 • F 213.915.0220 • ACLUSOCAL.ORG