Commissioners are selected through a rigorous application and selection process administered by the California State Auditor. Eligible and interested individuals submit an initial application and then a supplemental application package that includes essays and letters of recommendation. Additionally, the State Auditor’s office conducts background investigations and an Applicant Review Panel is responsible for identifying 60 of the most qualified applicants—20 Democrats, 20 Republicans, and 20 who do not belong to either of those two parties—after reviewing applications, taking and considering public comments, reviewing background information, and conducting interviews in public meetings. As set out by law, each of the four legislative leaders has the opportunity to strike up to two names in each of the subpools to identify the final applicant pool. The law requires the State auditor to conduct random drawing to select the first eight commissioners from the final applicant pool identified by the Legislature and those first eight commissioners are charged with selecting the final six members from the remaining applicants in the pool. To learn about the selection process, visit shapecaliforniasfuture.auditor.ca.gov
2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission
The first eight commissioners were randomly selected on July 2, 2020. Those commissioners were required to select the final six members of the 2020 Commission by no later than August 15, 2020. These eight commissioners selected the final six commissioners on August 7, 2020. The 2020 Commission is now fully formed, and they will be receiving required training, hiring their staff, selecting their vendors, establishing their protocols for conducting their business and carrying out their responsibilities. This website will be updated as soon as the 2020 Commission is able to.
2010 Commission
To emphasize the non-partisan nature of the Commission, the 2010 Commission decided to rotate leadership at each meeting during the line-drawing process, adhering to the stipulation in the California Constitution that the Chair and Vice Chair be from different parties. 2010 Commission staff created a random rotation schedule from the pool of Commissioners who volunteered to serve. The previous Vice Chair ascended to Chair, ensuring continuity.
| Session | Date | Location | Chair/Vice Chair | Commissioner Name | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 12-14 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Yao Dai | R D |
| 2 | January 20-21 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Yao Dai | R D |
| 3 | January 26-28 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Dai Ward | D R |
| 4 | February 10-13 | Claremont | Chair Vice Chair | Ward Galambos-Malloy | R DTS |
| 5 | February 23-27 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Galambos-Malloy Filkins Webber | DTS R |
| 6 | March 10-13 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Filkins Webber Blanco | R D |
| 7 | March 22-25 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Blanco Ontai | D R |
| 8 | April 7-8 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Ontai Aguirre | R D |
| 9 | April 13-16 | San Luis Obispo, Bakersfield, Hanford, Merced | Chair Vice Chair | Aguirre Barabba | D R |
| 10 | April 27 – May 1 | Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Gabriel, San Fernando, Lancaster | Chair Vice Chair | Barabba Dai | R D |
| 11 | May 5-6 | Norco, Santa Ana | Chair Vice Chair | Dai Yao | D R |
| 12 | May 12-14 | Palm Springs, San Marcos, San Diego | Chair Vice Chair | Yao Ancheta | R D |
| 13 | May 19-24 | Auburn, Santa Rosa, Oakland, Salinas, San Jose, Oakland | Chair Vice Chair | Ancheta Barabba | D R |
| 14 | May 26-27 | CSU, Northridge | Chair Vice Chair | Barabba Galambos Malloy | R DTS |
| 15 | June 1-2 | McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Galambos Malloy Ontai | DTS R |
| 16 | June 7 | McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Ontai Aguirre | R D |
| 17 | June9-10 | McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Aguirre Filkins Webber | D R |
| 18 | June 16-20 | Culver City, Whittier, Fullerton, San Bernadino, San Diego | Chair Vice Chair | Filkins Webber Blanco | R D |
| 19 | June 22-25 | Oxnard, Fresno, Stockton, San Jose | Chair Vice Chair | Blanco Yao | D R |
| 20 | June 27-28 | San Francisco, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Yao Dai | R D |
| 21 | July 1 | McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Dai Filkins Webber | D R |
| 22 | July 6-8 | McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Filkins Webber Ancheta | R D |
| 23 | July 11-14 | McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Ancheta Ontai | D R |
| 24 | July 20-22 | McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Ontai Galambos Malloy | R DTS |
| 25 | July 26-28 | McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Galambos Malloy Barabba | DTS R |
| 26 | August 13-15 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Barabba Aguirre | R D |
| 27 | September 15-16 | Sacramento | Chair Vice Chair | Aguirre Filkins Webber | D R |
- Vincent Barabba
- Cynthia Dai
- Jodie Filkins Webber
- Stanley Forbes
- Connie Galambos Malloy
- Elaine Kuo (Resigned 1/14/11)
- Jeanne Raya
- Peter Yao
Watch the video of the selection of the first eight commissioners.
The first eight commissioners selected the remaining six members of the Commission. Together these members will form the full 14-member Commission. The first eight commissioners must conducted their business publicly in a series of meetings beginning November 30 and ending on December 15, and followed California’s open meeting law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. They were charged with selecting two applicants from each of the subpools. Prior to making those additional selections of the final six members of the Commission, the first eight members chosen by the State Auditor’s Office were provided training on California’s diverse demographics and geography; the responsibilities of the Commission as set forth in the Voters FIRST Act; and the process for performing redistricting, including the use of computer software to draw district lines.
The final six members selected and approved on December 15, 2010 are:
- Gabino Aguirre
- Angelo Ancheta (Sworn in 2/10/11 as Elaine Kuo’s Replacement)
- Maria Blanco
- Lilbert “Gil” R. Ontai
- Michael Ward
- Michelle R. DiGuilio
- M. Andre Parvenu
You can see the application material for all the commissioners here.
What will the full Commission do?
The 14-member Commission is made up of five Republicans, five Democrats, and 4 not affiliated with either of those two parties but registered with another party or as decline-to-state. The Commission must draw the district lines in conformity with strict, nonpartisan rules designed to create districts of relatively equal population that will provide fair representation for all Californians. The Commission must hold public hearings and accept public comment. After hearing from the public and drawing the maps for the House of Representatives districts, 40 Senate districts, 80 Assembly districts, and four Board of Equalization districts, the Commission must vote on the new maps to be used for the next decade. To approve the new maps, the maps must receive nine “yes” votes from the Commission—three “yes” votes from members registered with the two largest parties, and three “yes” votes from the other members. The role of the Commissioner is further described here.
Need Reasonable Accommodations?
If you need a reasonable accommodation in order to participate, please contact us, toll free, at 1-866-356-5217 or send a letter or e-mail specifying the accommodation you are requesting to votersfirstact@crc.ca.gov or use the address below.
How was the Commission formed?
Who Serves on the Commission?
Need More Information?
Call us at (916) 323-0323, send us an e-mail at
votersfirstact@crc.ca.gov or send written requests to:
Citizens Redistricting Commission
721 Capitol Mall, Ste 260
Sacramento, CA, 95814