Orange County Board of Supervisors Plan

The PRA’s Orange County Board of Supervisors plan centers federal Voting Rights Act compliance and communities of interest that reflect the needs of the county’s most impacted residents. With districts drawn to established population equality requirements, the plan also respects other redistricting criteria established under state law, such as contiguity, maintaining the integrity of city boundaries, and compactness when not conflicting with core principles.

PRA Priorities for Supervisorial Districts

• Orange County Board of Supervisors District 1
  District 1 unites cohesive Vietnamese American communities in west Garden Grove, Westminster, and north Fountain Valley that share common refugee experiences and the need for social services and affordable housing.
• Orange County Board of Supervisors District 2
  District 2 keeps Irvine and Costa Mesa whole, draws them together with parts of Tustin, and apart from more affluent communities to the north like Yorba Linda, the Anaheim Hills, and North Tustin.
• Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3
  District 3 unites higher income hillside and south county cities, including Yorba Linda, the Anaheim Hills, and North Tustin to the north and Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, and Laguna Niguel to the south.
• Orange County Board of Supervisors District 4
  District 4 unites immigrant and low-income communities of interest in south Fullerton and west Anaheim, Korean American communities in north Buena Park and west Fullerton, and maintains the integrity of the Little Arabia community of interest. These communities are drawn apart from more affluent communities in Yorba Linda and the Anaheim Hills.
• Orange County Board of Supervisors District 5
  District 5 creates a federal Voting Rights Act compliant district around cohesive Latinx communities in Santa Ana, east Garden Grove, and parts of west Anaheim, Orange, and Tustin. With many low-income residents and mixed immigration status families, the Latinx community of interest in this district faces numerous shared challenges, including immigration enforcement and access to affordable housing.

Highlights of PRA Supervisorial Plan

Respect for the federal Voting Rights Act. The PRA plan creates a required Latinx Section 2 district in and around Santa Ana.

Respect for communities of interest. The PRA plan centers numerous communities of interest in the drawing of Supervisorial lines. AMEMSA, Asian American, housing cost-burdened, immigrant, Latinx, limited English proficient (LEP), low-income, nail salon worker, Pacific Islander, environmentally impacted, uninsured, and other populations in need were considered in identifying both communities of interest and geographic areas that were similar to and different from one another.

Respect for population equality. The PRA plan includes districts whose total populations are 5% above or below the ideal population of 638,601 persons per Supervisorial district, with a percentage spread less than 10%.

Respect for the requirement of contiguity. The PRA plan draws contiguous Supervisorial districts.

Respects the integrity of city boundaries. In developing the PRA plan, city boundaries were crossed for only three reasons: to ensure population equality, comply with the federal Voting Rights Act, and respect the integrity of communities of interest that cross city lines.

Respect for the requirement of compactness. The PRA plan draws compact districts, each with a population polygon score of 0.50 or greater.

Respect for nonpartisanship. The PRA plan was developed to address community needs and does not favor or discriminate against a political party.

Respect for sequencing requirements. Under the PRA plan, districts 2, 4, and 5 would hold their next elections in 2022, while Districts 1 and 3 would hold their next elections in 2024.

District 2 keeps Irvine and Costa Mesa whole, draws them together with parts of Tustin, and apart from more affluent communities to the north like Yorba Linda, the Anaheim Hills, and North Tustin.

• Total Population:  664,667
• Deviation:  +26,065 (+4.08%)
• Federal Voting Rights Act Compliance:  N/A
• Contiguity:  District is contiguous.

Justification for City Splits

Laguna Hills: A portion of city is required to ensure population equality of district.

Lake Forest: A portion of city is required to ensure population equality of district.

Tustin: A portion of city is part of a cohesive Latinx COI and required to create an adjacent Section 2 Voting Rights Act compliant district.

Communities of Interest

District 2 keeps Irvine and Costa Mesa whole, draws them together with parts of Tustin, and apart from more affluent communities to the north like Yorba Linda, the Anaheim Hills (generally east of the 55 Freeway), and North Tustin. Irvine is one of the fastest growing cities in California. Between 2010 and 2020, Irvine added over 95,000 new residents; among cities statewide with at least 100,000 people, none grew faster over the past decade. This dramatic increase has been fueled by ongoing growth in immigrant communities. With growing numbers of Asian American, Pacific Islander, and AMEMSA residents, the city is also home to an emerging low-income population with needs similar to those of Latinx communities in Costa Mesa. Recognizing common needs related to affordable housing, language access, and other concerns, public programs providing rental assistance and workforce development target communities in both Irvine and Costa Mesa. These needs are much different than those of affluent communities to the north like Yorba Linda, the Anaheim Hills, and North Tustin.

Compactness

District 2 is compact, with a population polygon score 0.50 or greater.

Other Features

District 2 includes Crystal Cove State Park, Fashion Island, Ingram Micro Incorporated, Irvine Spectrum Center, John Wayne Airport, Newport Harbor, Orange County Fairgrounds, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, South Coast Plaza, and the University of California Irvine.

Next election: 2022

District 4 unites immigrant and low-income communities of interest in south Fullerton and west Anaheim, Korean American communities in north Buena Park and west Fullerton, and maintains the integrity of the Little Arabia community of interest. These communities are drawn apart from more affluent communities in Yorba Linda and the Anaheim Hills.

• Total Population:  640,323
• Deviation:  +1,721 (+0.27%)
• Federal Voting Rights Act Compliance:  N/A
• Contiguity:  District is contiguous.

Justification for City Splits

Anaheim: Included portion of city is disproportionately low-income, environmentally impacted, and housing cost burdened and part of a COI including south Fullerton (south of Chapman Ave) and west Anaheim (generally west of the 55 Freeway), distinct from higher income communities in Anaheim Hills (generally east of the 55 Freeway). A portion of city is also part of a cohesive Latinx COI and required to create an adjacent Section 2 Voting Rights Act compliant district.

Orange: A portion of city is part of a cohesive Latinx COI and required to create an adjacent Section 2 Voting Rights Act compliant district.

Communities of Interest

District 4 unites immigrant and low-income communities of interest in south Fullerton and west Anaheim, Korean American communities in north Buena Park and west Fullerton, and maintains the integrity of the Little Arabia community of interest, located in west Anaheim on Brookhurst Street between Crescent Avenue and Katella Avenue. These communities should be drawn apart from more affluent communities in Yorba Linda and the Anaheim Hills. Two of Orange County’s largest cities, both Fullerton and Anaheim are socially and economically diverse with clear divisions between those with considerable needs and more affluent residents. In Fullerton, the lower income area of south Fullerton and the higher income north Fullerton are roughly divided by Chapman Ave. In Anaheim, the lower income west Anaheim and the higher income Anaheim Hills are roughly divided by the 55 Freeway. Low-income residents in south Fullerton and west Anaheim share common challenges, including environmental justice concerns and access to affordable housing.

Compactness

District 4 is compact, with a population polygon score 0.50 or greater.

Other Features

District 4 includes the Anaheim Convention Center, Beckman Coulter Incorporated, Brea Mall, Buena Park Downtown, Cal State Fullerton, Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm.

Next election: 2022