Redistricting has been in the news this month, and a series of court decisions will bring changes for Yakima Valley voters.
Redistricting is the process of drawing voting boundaries following a census, which happens every 10 years.
Here are some answers to questions we’ve received about redistricting. If you have questions about the election or voting we can help answer, email us at news@yakimaherald.com.
What happened?
There’s a new map of voting boundaries for seats in the state House and Senate. The map makes a number of changes in Central Washington and the Yakima Valley.
A group of Yakima County residents challenged an earlier map, saying the boundaries violated the federal Voting Rights Act because they didn’t allow Latino voters to elect their preferred candidates. Two court cases focused on voting boundaries in the Yakima Valley.
After a lengthy process in court and lots of debate, a judge approved new voting boundaries. Defendants asked the Supreme Court to delay the new maps, but the Supreme Court said last week it would not weigh in.
The new map will be in place for this year’s elections.
Why should I care?
The changes will affect who will represent you in Olympia.
State Sens. Curtis King and Nikki Torres and state Reps. Gina Mosbrucker and Chris Corry have been moved to new districts. Residents in the Lower Yakima Valley could see all new lawmakers.
What are the new districts?
The 14th District includes East Yakima, Toppenish, Wapato, Sunnyside, Grandview, the Yakama Reservation and East Pasco.
The 15th District includes northern Yakima County (including Yakima's West Valley), Moxee, Zillah and Upper Yakima Valley communities. It then stretches southeast to include Prosser and a piece of Benton County.
Unlike older maps, the Yakama Reservation stays together in one district – the 14th.
How do I figure out what district I’m in?
The Yakima County Auditor's Office has an interactive map showing legislative district boundaries for Yakima County residents. The map clearly shows communities, neighborhoods and roads, and is easy to navigate.
You can find your home on the map and see which district you are in, or call the Yakima County Auditor's Office at 509-574-1340.
The Secretary of State's Office also has a map that Washington residents can search using their address.
Do I need to do anything?
Not really.
If a voter’s precinct changes, they will be automatically moved to the new district and will be issued a new voter registration card, according to the Secretary of State's Office. A voter registration card is an informational notice and requires no action by the voter.
To check on your voter registration, go to votewa.gov.
Who is running?
Candidate filing officially runs May 6-10, but candidates for state seats usually announce and start raising money earlier than that. Things have been different this year in the Yakima area because the maps were up in the air.
People who have announced they plan to run:
Corry, of Yakima, and Jeremie Dufault of Selah, both Republicans, have announced plans to run for state House in the 15th District.
Chelsea Dimas, Raúl Martínez and Maria Beltran plan to run as Democrats in the 14th District. No Republicans have announced a run yet in the new district.
King, R-Yakima, and Rep. Bryan Sandlin, R-Zillah, filed campaign finance paperwork earlier this year. Liz Hallock has filed paperwork as an independent.
Torres, of Pasco, will serve out the remaining two years of her term. She said she’s still considering her options after that.
Mosbrucker, of Goldendale, will be in the 17th District.
Candidates can move if they want to run in a different district, as Sen. Brad Hawkins said he will do in Wenatchee.
What about U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse’s district?
Nothing has changed recently. The redistricting changes that have been in the news this spring only affect seats in the Legislature, not Congress.
Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, is running for Congress in the 4th District, which covers Yakima, Benton, Klickitat, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties.
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