Frequently Asked Questions

Redistricting is the process of drawing new district boundaries for elected officials. In California, this happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census to ensure equal representation. The California Citizens Redistricting Commission is responsible for creating new districts for State Assembly, State Senate, Congressional, and Board of Equalization districts.

Draw My CA provides three main tools:

• Draw My CA Community: Draw and describe your community of interest
• Draw My CA Districts: Create district maps online
• QGIS Plugin: Advanced GIS-based redistricting for desktop users

Yes, all Draw My CA tools are completely free to use. They were developed by the Statewide Database to ensure that all Californians have access to redistricting tools regardless of their financial resources.

No technical skills are required for Draw My CA Community and Draw My CA Districts. These online tools are designed to be user-friendly and accessible to everyone. The QGIS Plugin requires some familiarity with GIS software, but we provide comprehensive documentation and tutorials to help you get started.

Our website and tools are available in English and Spanish.

We offer several ways to get help:

• Email our support team at contact@statewidedatabase.org
• Check our comprehensive documentation
• Watch our video tutorials
• Review our user guides for specific tools

You can download your redistricting plans as files for personal use. If you're using Draw My CA Community, you can submit your community information to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. The Commission reviews all submitted information when creating new districts, though there's no guarantee that specific communities will be kept together.

Draw My CA tools are specifically designed for California redistricting and use California-specific data and geographies. However, the QGIS Plugin framework could potentially be adapted for other states with appropriate data and modifications.