National Demographics Corporation
Brief History of National Demographics Corporation
NDC has served hundreds of local gove rnments since our founding in 1979.
While most of NDC’s work is in California and Arizona, the firm has performed projects in all regions of the country, serving clients as varied as the States of Mississippi, Arizona, Florida and Illinois; Clark County (Nevada); the California counties of Merced, San Bernardino, and San Diego; the San Diego Unified School District; the City of Oakland; Yuma County (Arizona); the Arizona cities of Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, and Surprise; and relatively smaller jurisdictions such as the City of Bradbury and Clay Elementary School District.
The company is especially well known fo r its districting and redistricting work with local governments. NDC has esta blished a reputation as the leading demographic expert on the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), having performed demographic assessments of potential CVRA liability and/or moves to by-district elections for over 350 jurisdictions. No company has been responsible for addressing the elector al demographic needs of more local governments, as NDC has completed more than 450 districting or redistricting projects with counties, school districts, cities, water districts, and other local jurisdictions.
Nationally recognized as a pioneer in good government districting and redistricting, NDC has unmatched expe rtise in the issues, questions, and decisions jurisdictions face in any discussi on regarding districting, redistricting, the California and Federal Voting Rights Act and related election system choices.
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Company Philosophy
Professionalism
NDC’s personnel are nationally recognized as leaders in the districting field and are responsible for numerous books and articles on the subject. NDC possesses all the hardware and software necessary to meet the districting and redistricting needs of any jurisdiction, and its pers onnel have unmatched experience in the line-drawing side of this work, as well as in developing the databases used for these purposes. But more important are the firm’s interpersonal skills and the team’s understanding of the perspective of all parties in this process.
Partnership
In recognition of the vital role these groups play in informing and assisting their members, NDC is a sponsor of the Californ ia League of Cities, the California Special Districts Association, and we are currently finalizing our sponsorship of the California School Boards Associat ion and the California Association of Counties.
For years, NDC has frequently appeared on panels organized by these organizations to share information with their members about the California Voting Rights Act, the Census, and the districting and redistricting rules and process.
NDC also assists the League of Cities and CSBA with negotiations and suggested language for legislation on districting/re districting and the California Voting Rights Act.
Local Leadership and NDC’s Non-Partisan Approach
NDC is an advisor and technical resource. The firm’s role is to assist our clients in implementing our clients’ goals and directions within the complicated demographic and legal constraints of the project. NDC shares its experience and expertise, but the final plan is selected by the jurisdiction ’s elected leaders, not NDC. The firm is sometimes criticized, usually by people fr om outside of the client jurisdiction, for not acting as an advocate or proselytizer for what these outsiders think is “right” for the client. But NDC team members are expert advisors, not proselytizers. NDC guides our clients through the process to a map that meets all legal requirements and the goals of our client – not the goals of outside critics. NDC welcomes the chance to assist each client through this process following the direction of the ju risdiction's elected leadership, key staff members, and the entire community.
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A common question in many districting or redistricting projects is whether there is any influence of a
ny improper polit ical bias on the process. NDC’s four
decades of success working for jurisdicti ons with all-Democratic leadership, jurisdictions with all-Republican leadership, and every possible combination in between, reflects our steadfast dedication to non-partisan service. At work, each of us puts our personal political feelings aside and focuses on implementing the policy goals and directions of our clients using NDC’s non-partisan, professional and expert guidance regarding the requirements and options facing each client.
We believe most of our clients would be hard-pressed to guess which NDC team members are registered as independents or with any political party, and we are proud to have satisfied customers and c lients whose partisan leanings (even in their non-partisan local government office s) similarly cross the entire partisan spectrum.
Openness
Any change in election systems can ha ve momentous implications for the distribution of political power in a ju risdiction and for access by groups and individuals to the governance process. Not surprisingly, such changes often attract considerable public attention, sometimes generate intense controversy, and may draw charges of manipulation an d abuse of power. It is crucial, therefore, that the jurisdiction establish, at the beginning, a process that is not only fair, but that is seen to be fair, to all contending groups and individuals.
Public Engagement
NDC pioneered the “transparent districtin g” approach that involves the public at every stage of the process and the company invented the "public participation kit" back in 1990. But NDC’s most valu able service is the firm’s experience transforming often contentious and passionate debates into thoughtful, constructive discussions focused on the options and outcomes rather than individual personalities. NDC also has considerable experi ence working with translators in public forums and providing materials in English and Spanish.
NDC’s approach has been widely praised in the media, and NDC has worked extensively with all types of press including radio, television, newspaper, and new media.
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Project S
oftware
NDC uses Caliper Corporation’s Maptit ude for Redistricting software for processing public map submissions and drawing NDC’s draft maps and Board- directed revisions. Maptitude for Redistricting can open and use the standard “Shapefile” and “File Geodatabase” GIS data formats, and Maptitude for Redistricting can export all files to “Shapefile” and “File Geodatabase” formats.
NDC uses ESRI’s ArcGIS Online to pr esent those maps for Board, Staff and Public review in an easy-to-use, intera ctive format. NDC also uses ArcGIS Pro for some specialized Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis; for opening and reviewing data received from clients or from other jurisdictions; and when needed for final map post-adoption proce ssing for delivery to the jurisdiction and to the County Registrar. Microsof t PowerPoint is also used for many presentations, though NDC is currently experimenting with a possible move to ESRI’s “Story Maps” for some presentations.
NDC Approach to Public Engagement
The Three E’s of Public Participation: Engage, Educate, and Empower NDC’s “Three E’s” approach recognizes the complex and daunting nature of districting and redistricting projects, while emphasizing the importance of public participation in such projects.
Given the complexity of the issue, the public cannot be expected to jump in with constructive ideas and input without encouragement. So NDC’s approach begins with the first “E”: Engage. NDC works with our clients to get the word out about why the project matters – and how input from residents can be a decisive element of the project.
Once their interest is engaged, the second “E” is Educate. Most media coverage of this topic focuses on congressional ge rrymandering, giving the entire field a tainted and hopeless feel. NDC works with our clients to explain how local districting and redistricting is base d on neighborhoods and communities – not national politics. We educate the public on the data, requirements and goals of redistricting, and on the many options residents have to formulate and share their own maps or other constructive input.
The third “E” is Empower. For those projects where the level of public interest and engagement justify the expense, NDC offers an unmatched array of paper, Excel-based, and online mapping tools that residents can use to draw detailed, population-balanced maps for consideration by the jurisdiction.
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When in
cluded in a project, NDC has seen considerable public interest in these optional public participation tools. Often five, ten or even twenty or thirty draft maps are proposed by community residents. And NDC developed a highly refined and proven methodology for e fficiently guiding our clients through selecting and refining a map, even when st arting from 10, 20, 30 or more initial draft maps.
For those jurisdictions where the expens e of the optional mapping tools is too high, NDC always welcomes any letters, comments, or hand-drawn maps that residents wish to submit during the districting or redistricting process.
For every project, at no extra expense, NDC includes an online “interactive review map” that allows residents to analyze draft maps zooming in and out, searching for specific addresses, and by changing between street maps, satellite images, and other underlying base maps.
Samples of these tools are shown on the following pages, and additional details on each of them appears later in this proposal.
Sample Public Participation Mapping Tool
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Sample Online Mapping Tool
Sample NDC “Interactive Review Map”
(used to view and evaluate, not to draw, maps)
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The NDC Team
NDC’s 40 years of service to local gove rnments is grounded in our academic founding and decades of professional re lationships with all forms of local governments. Each NDC team member has been extensively trained in the legal requirements, demographic details, and complicated personal and community interests involved in every districting and redistricting project. And every NDC team member has been briefed on the wide range of unusual and bizarre challenges NDC has encountered over our more than 250 successfully completed local government projects. Whatever question or situation arises, your NDC team can handle it.
NDC President Dr. Douglas Johnson leads all team training and closely monitors the progress of every client project . NDC President Dr. Johnson and Vice President Dr. Levitt are always availabl e to all clients. Each NDC team leader brings their personal expertise in demographics, city governance, school district governance and/or special district management to every project. And each team leader has particular expertise and focu s in specific geographic areas. All team members resumes are available on www.ndcresearch.com/about-us/.
NDC Current Organization Chart
NDC President Douglas Johnson, Ph.D.
NDC Vice President Justin Levitt, Ph.D.
Senior Consultants Shalice Tilton
Robert McEntire, Ed.D.
Consultants Kristen Parks
Daniel Phillips, Ph.D.
Shannon Kelly
Jeff Simonetti
Todd Tatum
Douglas Yoakam
Recognition of NDC’s Expertise
Both national and local organizations have recognized NDC’s unmatched experience and expertise in the Census, districting, and redistricting.
National Recognition
Nationally, the National Conference of State Legislatures hosted NDC as a panelist at five different forums held for state legislators and legislative staff from ATTACHMENT 3
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across the country. NDC President Dougla
s Johnson addressed these forums on
the following topics:
1. Citizen Voting Age Data from a line-drawer's viewpoint
2. Communities
of Interest in Redistricting: A key to drawing 2011 plans (and for their defense)
3. The Key to Successful Redistricting
4. Communities
of Interest In Redistricting: A Practical Guide
5. The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commi ssions' experiences with the first-ever independent redistricting
In addition:
The National League of Women Vote rs hosted NDC President Douglas Johnson at a 2006 conference on “Building a National Redistricting Refor m
Movement,”
Texas Tech University hosted
Dr. Johnson as a panelist at its “Symposium
on Redistricting;”
The Arizona League of Cities a nd Towns hosted Dr. Johnson as a panelist on “Redistricting Law and the Voting Ri ghts Act: What It Mea ns for Your
City or Town in 2011” and
The Ar
izona Bar Association hosted Dr. Johnson as a panelist on “Communities of interest and technology in redistricting.” California League of Cities Recognition
The California League of Cities hosted
NDC as panelists over a dozen times to
date:
General Meeting panel: 2006 and 2015
Executive Forum panel: 2018 and 2020
City Clerk Department panel: 2014, 2017, 2018, twice in 2019, and 2020 City Manager Department panel: 2015 and 2019
City Attorney Department panel: 2018
Inland Empire Chapter presentation: 2016
South Bay Chapter presentation: 2020 and 2021
Recognition by Additional California Organizations
Other California organizations and conferences since 2011 recognizing NDC’s expertise in this field include:
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2020 California County
Counsel Assoc.
2021 Redistricting - What Local
Government Attorneys Need to Know
2020 “Voice of San
Diego” Politifest
Redistricting--What it means for our
community
2020
County Committee
Secretaries Annual
Summit
The California Voting Rights Act
2020
Rose Institute of
State and Local
Government
2021 Redistricting: New Rules for California
Local Governments
2020 California Special
Districts Association
California Voting Rights Act Challenge
Factors
2020
Associated Cities of
California – Orange
County
2021 Redistricting: The Rules have Changed
2020 California Municipal
Law Conference
Municipal Redistricting in 2021: New Rules
of the Road
2019
California
Association of
School Business
Officials
Transitioning to By-Trustee-Areas Elections
2019 USC City/County
Fellowship Program
The Challenges of Municipal Election
Districts
2019 California Special
Districts Association
District Elections and the California Voting
Rights Act
2018 California Special
Districts Association
Converting From At-Large to By-District
Elections Under the California Voting
Rights Act
2018 Riverside County
Bar Assoc.
Redistricting and the California Voting
Rights Act
2018 California School
Board Assoc.
Voter Districts: The Link Between Strong
Community Engagement and a Successful
Process
2017 California School
Board Assoc.
15 Years with the California Voting Rights
Act: Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead
2017
UC’s National Public
Service Law
Conference
Moderator, “Voting Rights 101”
2016
Los Angeles County
School Business
Officials
CVRA: What CBO’s Need to Know
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2016
Los Angeles County
School Trustees
Assoc.
The CVRA: What School Board Members
Need to Know
2015
Associated Cities of
California – Orange
County
The California Voting Rights Act
2015 California School
Board Assoc.
The California Voting Rights Act: What
Board Members Must Know
2015
Los Angeles County
School Boards
Assoc.
CVRA & Districting: The Demographer’s
Perspective
2011 Channel Cities Club Lunch Keynote: “California's next experiment: independent, public
redistricting”
Advisor to Charter Review Commissions on Redistricting Provisions NDC advised the following groups on the redistricting and voting rights provisions of their charter revisions and ordinances:
2016 City of El Cajon charter revisi on and public education outreach 2015/16 Castaic Lake Water Agency and Newhall County Water District merger
2015/16 City of Corona Charter Revision
2011/12
Pasadena Unified advisor to Charter Revision Commission creating a redistricting commission and moving District to by- district elections
2009/10 City of Menifee advisor to by-district-elections ordinance language committee
2006-08
City of Modesto advisor to Charter Revision Commission
creating an independent redistricting commission and public education outreach
2003 City of Goleta ordinance writing and public education outreach
Expert Witness and Litigation Consultant
NDC President Douglas Johnson served as an expert witness in the following election and redistricting law cases:
2020 Chestnut v Merrill (Alabama)
2019 City of Redondo Beach vs State of California
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2019 Ruiz-Lozito vs West Contra Costa Unified School District 2019 Common Cause v Lewis (North Carolina)
2018 Phillip Randolph Institute v Smith (Ohio)
2018 League et al. v. Johnson (Michigan)
2017 Luna v County of Kern
2018 Covington v State of North Carolina
2016 Garrett v City of Highland
2015 Jamarillo v City of Fullerton
2015 Harris vs Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission 2015 Solis v Santa Clarita Community College District
2015 Jauregui et al vs City of Palmdale
2014 Diego v City of Whittier
NDC Staff also served as litigation consultants for jurisdictions in the following California Voting Rights Act cases:
1. Anaheim
2. Carson
3. Compton
4. Escondido
5. Modesto
6. Poway
7. Santa Clarita
8. Whittier
9. Santa Clarita Community
College District
10. Tulare Health Care District
Trusted Advisor to Local Government and Redistricting Reform Groups NDC acted as an informal advisor to th e California League of Cities and the California School Board Association duri ng the debate over the AB849 “FAIR MAPS Act” in 2019.
NDC acted as an informal advisor to the California League of Cities during the debate over AB1276 (revising the FAIR MAPS Act provisions) in 2020.
NDC provided ideas, advice, maps and research to the 2008 Common Cause-led coalition that drafted and successfu lly advocated for Proposition 11, which created California’s State-level Independent Redistricting Commission.
NDC President Douglas Johnson at Governor
Schwarzenegger’s press conference in support of redistricting reform.
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(Left to right: Assembly Democratic Legislator John Laird, USC Senior Fellow Dan Schnur, Greenlining Institute representative (name unknown), AARP President Jeannine English, NDC President Douglas Johnson, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, League of Women Voters Senior Director Trudy Schafer, State Senate Republican Bill Leonard, League of Women Voters President Jacqueline Jacobberger, and three unidentified men).
NDC Testimonials
Here is a sampling of what people have to say about NDC:
“Our decision to work with National Demogr aphics came out of our extraordinary city-wide success in 2015 with their work designing the original districts. I think anyone who participated in that process realized that the technical solutions they created opened access to literally dozens of people creating their own maps and it created a vibrant process.” Santa Barbara City Attorney Ariel Calonne
“Here's a great expert. . . . today you bring him in for what sounds like good information, very smart man up here.”
United States Fourth District Co urt Judge James A Wynn, Covington v North Carolina, United States Distri ct Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Case No. 1:15CV399
“I have worked on Congressional, Legislativ e, Los Angeles County and Los Angeles City redistricting maps on behalf of the Latino Caucus and grassroots Latino organizations for over 30 years. Douglas Johnson is one of the top redistricting experts in California, and he is who I would pick to draw a map for me anywhere in the state.” ATTACHMENT 3
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Alan Clayton, retired Executive Di rector of the Los Angeles County Chicano Employees Association
“The excel spreadsheet is a fantastic tool. Just plug in the letter by district and on the tab see a running total of population by assigned district. It's cool.” Modesto resident’s comment, June 16, 2008
“One of the first, and in retrospect one of th e best, decisions made by our commission was to hire Douglas Johnson and his colleagues at National Demographics Corporation as our primary consultants. I have never had the opport unity to work with a more highly qualified, hard-working, dedicated, professional and classy individual or group than Mr. Johnson and his associates at NDC.”
Jim Huntwork, Arizona Independent Redistricting Commissioner (Republican)
“In addition to his technical expertise, Doug h ad a keen sense of how to help us navigate the complexities of the process. He understands redistricting better than any person I know. He has a unique ability to synthesize that which is very complicated and make it very understandable for the public. He frequently would present vari ous options, without representing any position, clearly delineating differences and challenges of each option in a clear and succinct manner.” Josh Hall, Arizona Independent Redistricting Commissioner (Democrat) “It was a great pleasure to work with Doug Johnson and NDC during the first Independent redistricting effort in Arizona. Doug and his st aff were professional, efficient, responsive, and even-handed. They listened very carefully to the instructions give n by the commission and performed each mapping task wi thout bias of any kind. I wo uld highly recommend NDC to any jurisdiction, or commission, wishing to have a successful redistricting process.” Steven W. Lynn, Chair, Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (Independent)
“Thank you for all of your hard work, assistan ce, and patience with me during this year of CVRA conversion to by-area trustee elections. Your continual reassurance and support in dealing with all of the details was sincerely appreciated. We all have jobs to do, but when working with all of you I felt that you always went the extra mile to support our District with excellent customer service. The multiple revi sions, extra conference calls, and follow up suggestions made a difference to Scott, Linda, and me. I personally enjoyed joking around with each of you while remaining professional in all presentations. It was a pleasure working with all of you. “
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Jennifer Williams, Ed
. D., Fullerton Joint Union High School District,
Executive Director Administrative Services
“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to participate in the City Official Roundtable I hosted on the 2020 U.S. Census at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. I appreciate that you shared your expertise on the Census to the government officials who were present. It is critical that we work together to ensure that everyone is counted in the upcoming Census.”
Ted W. Lieu, Member of Congress, California 33
rd District.
Impeccable References
All of NDC’s former clients – withou t exception – can be contacted for references. The following is only a sample of references:
Mr. Graham Mitchell. City Manager. City of El Cajon. 200 Civic Center Way. El Cajon. CA 92020. (619) 441-1716. [email protected].
Mr. Jason Stilwell. City Manager. City of Santa Maria. 110 E. Cook Street. Santa Maria.
CA 93454-5190. (805) 925-0951 ext. 2200. [email protected].
Mr. Marcus Walton. Communications Director. West Contra Costa Unified. 1108 Bissell Ave., Room 211-215. Richmond, CA 94801. 510-205-3092. [email protected].
Mr. Jonathan Vasquez. Superintendent. Los Nietos School District. 8324 S.
Westman Ave., Whittier, CA 90606. (562) 692-0271 Ext. 3212 [email protected].
Ms. Jennifer Fitzgerald, Mayor, City of Fullerton. 303 W. Commonwealth Avenue.
Fullerton, CA 92832. (714) 402-3106. [email protected].
Mr. James Atencio. Assistant City Attorney. City of Richmond. 450 Civic Center Plaza. Richmond, CA 94804. 510-620-6509. [email protected].
Ms. Isabel Montenegro. Administrati ve Assistant. Inglewood Unified. 401 South Inglewood Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90301. 310-419-2799.
[email protected].
Ms. Pam Abel. Superintendent. Modesto City Schools. 426 Locust Street. Modesto.
CA 95351-2631. (209) 574-1616. [email protected].
Mr. Darrell Talbert. City Manager. City of Corona. 400 S Vicentia Avenue. Corona.
CA 92882-2187. 951.279.3670. [email protected].
Mr. David Silberman. Deputy Coun ty Counsel. San Mateo County. 400 County Center. 6th Floor. Redwood City. CA 94063. 650-363-4749 [email protected].
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Judge Hugh Rose (retired). Chairman. City of Modesto Districting Commission. 508 King Richard Lane. Modesto. CA 95350. Phone (209) 522-0719. Email:
[email protected].
Ms. Lucinda Aja. City Clerk, City of Buckeye, Arizona. 100 N Apache Rd, Suite A, Buckeye, AZ 85326. Phone (623) 349-6007. Email: [email protected].
Sample Districting or Redistricting Scope of Work
1. Districting project Setup and coordination:
a) Development of demographic databa se including Census Bureau and California Statewide Database data of total population, citizen voting age population, voter registration, voter turnout, and socio-economic data on language spoken at home, renters vs homeowners, age, education level, and other factors useful in identifying communities of interest;
b) Incorporation of any Geographic Information System (GIS) data that the jurisdiction wishes to include and provides (often including school locations; school attendance areas; important local landmarks; or local neighborhood boundaries);
c) [Redistricting Only] Compile population data by election area and calculate population deviations of existing districts;
d) [Redistricting Only] Provide report of population balance; any potential divisions of “protected class” population concentrations in the existing election areas map;
e) Initial telephonic discussion with about data, communities of interest, schedule, criteria and special concerns of the jurisdiction; f) Assist jurisdiction with developing a communications plan for public outreach, including suggestions for webpage content and design, public feedback logistics, and strategies for engaging constituents; g) Assist jurisdiction with developing a project plan, including a detailed timeline, goals and objectives, and specific deliverables list; h) Provide progress reports on an as-n eeded basis as determined by the project manager and meet regularly with project team;
i) Any phone- or web-conferen ce calls to discuss th e project's progress or to answer any questions that may arise;
j) Provide education and guidance on required redistricting criteria, and advice on selecting optional redistrict ing criteria, for staff and elected officials;
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2. Districting Plan Development:
a) Provide memo on population balan ce and any potential divisions of “protected class” population concentrations in the existing election areas map;
b) Creation of 2 to 4 initial draft maps;
c) Analysis and preparation for presentation of all whole or partial plans submitted by the public;
d) Conversion of all maps and reports to web-friendly versions; e) Online posting of all maps to an interactive review website; f) Create any requested additional and/or revised maps as requested;
3. Districting Plan implementation:
a) Provide spatial data in GIS-friendly format of any dataset used or created for this project to staff upon request;
b) Work with the County Registrar of Voters to implement the final adopted plan;
4. Districting Project Options
a) Number of virtual or in-person meetings (and resulting per-meeting fee);
b) Online mapping tool allowing residents to draw and submit maps; c) Paper-based mapping tool allowing residents to draw and submit maps.
Project Timing
Project timing is at the jurisdiction’s preference. Districting projects often take three to six months, but in other situat ions jurisdictional preferences or legal situations require completion in mere weeks. NDC is fully prepared to accommodate whatever timeline the jurisdiction prefers.
Keep in mind, however, that California Elections Code Section 10010 requires four hearings before the public hearing adopting the final map. There are options under which some of the five hearings mentioned can be combined or replaced with public workshops, but a minimum of four Council meetings or public workshops are required to complete the districting process.
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Details of Optional Project Elements
Advisory or Independent Redistricting Commissions
NDC anticipates that many California jurisdictions will create advisory or independent commissions to manage the redistricting process. NDC welcomes the use of such commissions, and our pric ing does not change for jurisdictions creating commissions. But the creation, training, operation and reporting of such commissions often leads to more meetings (and a resulting increase in the “per meeting” project expenses) than a traditional redistricting process conducted primarily by the jurisdiction’s elected leadership.
Outreach Assistance
NDC brings topical expertise to your jurisdiction’s outreach efforts, and NDC makes available to all clients our library of sample outreach materials including op-ed articles, postcards, utility bill inserts, flyers, and social media messages.
NDC provides all of these materials along with our advice and input on outreach strategy and materials to any interested jurisdiction, but we do not have graphic artists to customize or design such materials in-house.
For larger-scale outreach efforts, especi ally where jurisdictions wish to send representatives out to regular meetings of existing community organizations, NDC typically works together with a jurisdiction’s in-house communications staff and/or with one or more outreach organizations. We often work with, and highly recommend, Tripepi-Smith, and so me information on the services they offer is included at the end of this pr oposal. And we would be happy to work with any in-house team at the jurisdicti on or with any firm or organization the jurisdiction selects. Many projects can be handled by a jurisdiction’s in-house or regular outreach and communications te ams (with samples and topic expertise provided by NDC), but a number of ju risdictions seek supplemental outside communications assistance.
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Project Website
NDC provides all project materials in website-friendly formats for posting on the jurisdiction’s website. At no cost, NDC will provide project website samples and website language for use on the jurisdiction’s project website. But for jurisdictions that prefer not to take on the challenge of creating and managing a rapidly-changing project website, NDC will create, host, and update project website (below is an image of one such site).
Online Mapping Tool for Public / Resident Use
NDC is the unmatched leader in redistricting tools that empower residents to review draft maps and to develop and submit their own map proposals. NDC is the only firm that has used the online mapping solutions from both ESRI and Caliper Corporation in major redistricting projects.
In literally hundreds of local redistricting projects, NDC has successfully trained members of the public, processed publ ic map submissions, and presented the public map proposals to public hearings and commission meetings. NDC’s online mapping tool options provide user support, hosting, managing, and processing submitted plans in an online interactive system that allows public to draw and submit proposed maps through a standard web browser. Our current preferred public online mapping tool is DRA (detailed below), however if the ATTACHMENT 3
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client prefers NDC a
lso has extensive experience with a number of other options currently available (though often at significantly higher prices).
DRA Online Mapping Tool
DRA is a simple paintbrush-based tool the public can use to draw and submit proposed draft maps.
Residents simply go to the website link, overlay any of the many demographic shadings they wish to see, and then “paint” the Precincts or Census Blocks that are part of the neighborhood or community of interest they wish to see kept together.
NDC provides both short and in-depth “how to” videos on use of the DRA tool. It is both simple to use for everyone and full of powerful analytic analytics for the “power user” who want them.
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Paper- and Excel-based Public Mapping Tools
While online mapping tools are
very popular, NDC never
forgets those residents who do
not have internet access or who
simply prefer to not drawing
maps online.
At no
cost with every online
mapping tool, and as a separate
option for jurisdictions that for
budget or other reasons do not
include an online mapping tool,
NDC offers our “Public
Participation Kit.” Each “Kit”
includes two formats.
The first, and most simple, Kit
is a one-page map showing
streets, city borders, and
population counts for NDC-
created “Population Unit”
geographic areas. Residents
draw the map they wish to
propose and add up the
population counts by hand
until they get the right
population count in each
district. All of the directions needed are right on the single-page form. Examples of these tools, from our work for the Ci ty of Lake Forest, are available here:
https://drawlf.org/draw-a-map/.
The second form of offline mapping tool is for those residents who do not want to deal with an online mapping tool, but who are already comfortable with Microsoft Excel. NDC provides a similar simple one-page map of those same “Population Units,” but this time the map shows the Unit ID number rather than the population count in that Unit . Residents then enter their preferred district assignment for each Populati on Unit into the pre-formatted Excel spreadsheet (also available on the Lake Forest website), and Excel calculates the total population and demographics of each District. When the resident has the map the way they like it, they simple email in the Excel file.
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Conclusion
Since its founding NDC has been the nation’s preeminent company devoted to local election systems. To summarize:
5. NDC has more experience in the field of municipal political election systems than any other company.
6. NDC’s experience a
nd expertise has been recogniz ed by our hundreds of
clients,
the California League of Cities, the California School Board Association, the California Special Di strict Association, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
7. NDC, founded in 1979, has a demonstrated record of financial solvency.
8. NDC’s hardware and software resources were specially designed and acquired for districting and redistricting purposes.
9. NDC’s highly respected personnel have impeccable credentials in each aspect of the distr
icting and redistricting processes.
10. NDC’s suggested approach has been tested in many jurisdictions.
11. Any NDC client can be contacted for testimonials and reference.
12. NDC has d
emonstrated experience over many years in working with the press and media on local election system issues.
13. Neither the Justice D
epartment nor any Court has ever rejected any of the
hundreds of local government districtin g or redistricting plan submitted by NDC.
NDC takes pride in tailoring each proj
ect to the needs and goals of each
individual client. NDC is open to any feedback, concerns, requests, or changes regarding this proposal.
ATTACHMENT 3
A3-21