Nashville is getting ready to redraw its 35 council districts and 9 school districts, according to a new timeline that looks to finalize the process in late 2021 or early 2022.
Why is this happening now? Redistricting, or the process of redrawing council and school districts, is completed every 10 years after the US Census is finalized. The new district boundaries must be balanced in population and follow traditional redistricting criteria.
What to expect
In 2010, Davidson County’s population was 627,753. A decade later, that figure is expected to have jump to around 700,000 residents.
Due to population growth, planning officials estimate that each council district will contain around 20,000 residents, up from around 18,000 per district based on the 2011 redistricting map.
The timeline
The city expects to receive 2020 Census counts in mid-August — after that, the process will move quickly.
First, the Metro Planning Department will prepare a summary of growth trends and begin working on draft maps, which will be ready for public review on the official website + at community workshops in September.
Once the maps are finalized this fall, the Planning Commission could begin the adoption process between late October or early November. The maps will go to Metro Council for final approval, which is expected to happen by early January.
How to participate
Although officials will not begin preparing new district lines until the data is released, residents are encouraged to participate in a new survey about the redistricting process.
The survey includes a few questions that will gauge your level of interest and experience with redistricting + a city-wide map to draw where you believe your district begins and ends.
And if you want to learn more about how districts have changed over time, take a deep dive into historical council districts and school board districts dating back to 1961.