Democratic View – Bringing people into their own backyards

By Freddy Villano

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this column are those of author Freddy Villano and are not representative of the thoughts or opinions of Tompkins Weekly.

Following the 2020 Census, Tompkins County (along with the rest of New York State) was redistricted as required by law. An independent redistricting commission was used that had to take many factors into account, including minimizing the population differentials between districts, adhering to existing town (and other) boundaries where possible, and considering communities of interest. A community of interest (COI) is a group of people who share common interests, values, or goals. COIs can be defined by a geographic area, a shared activity, or a common identity. The commission recommended going from fourteen to sixteen districts in Tompkins County, and that will take effect with the upcoming 2025 election cycle.

The fact that the 2020 Census led to new legislative districts opening in Tompkins County might not be on your radar, which is understandable considering the tenor of our national politics at the moment. While national politics often get the headlines, and steal much of the attention (along with other daily responsibilities), it’s important for people to remain vigilant locally. Local politics is a place where residents can connect more directly to their candidates and still have a meaningful say in what’s going on in their communities. So, it’s important to have a basic understanding of whether or not you reside in an area that’s been affected by the redistricting process.

In 2014, New York voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to create a new process for congressional and state legislative redistricting. For more on that, please visit: https://www.citylandnyc.org/new-york-redistricting-what-happened-and-where-are-we-going/.

The point here is not to get too bogged down in the history of the amendment but suffice it to say this process did not go as smoothly as anticipated. The outcome of this process, and the subsequent 2020 Census, is that it’s now possible someone you previously voted for is no longer your representative due to redrawn legislative districts.

To provide some context for all of this, one example worth looking at is the legislative district of Daniel E. Klein (D), chair of the Tompkins County Legislature. Klein’s legislative district is currently seven and includes Caroline, Danby, and an election district from the Town of Ithaca (district name, ITH-12). With the redrawn maps, he will soon represent legislative district thirteen, which encompasses only Caroline and Danby. So, if you lived in Klein’s election district in the Town of Ithaca (ITH-12), you either have an open seat or another representative, since ITH-12 will soon be split between legislative districts twelve and fourteen. Klein announced on January 7^th that he would not seek re-election, so legislative district thirteen (Caroline and Danby only) will also have an open seat. This is just one example of how things have shifted. For an interactive map that shows current districts (numbers in red) with an overlay of new districts (numbers in purple), please visit:

https://tompkinscounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9dd6d8dd521244c6882ac9c1f7e77977&extent=-8577026.8039%2C5201901.7896%2C-8450294.211%2C5259229.5608%2C102100.

Understanding where your house now sits within a particular legislative district is pretty easy to do. Besides the interactive link provided above, you can go to the Board of Elections (BOE)  or log onto to their website at https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/All-Departments/Board-of-Elections/Voter-Information-and-Registrations. Check to see which district you’re in and whether or not you’re going to be voting for an incumbent or somebody completely new. It’s possible the lines around your house have been redrawn and you’re now in a district that has a seat up for grabs. The BOE is a hub that helps inform voters who their representatives are for their locality. Linda Hoffmann, Chair of the Tompkins Democrats stated, “It’s all about bringing people back into their own backyard. We need to be focused on our own backyard.”

Petitioning time for new candidates begins February 25th. So, if someone wants to step forward to run as a candidate on the Democratic line, they need to coordinate themselves with information from the Board of Elections to petition, have the voter roll, and knock on doors. If there is a primary, which can happen across any of these legislative districts, it’ll be June 24th. The general election will be on the first Tuesday of November. Those who are voted in would assume office in January 2026.