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Date: 9/29/2021
AMHERST – Town officials are seeking reaction from residents about the efforts to redefine voting precincts and district boundary lines.
According to information from the Districting Advisory Board (DAB) the redistricting is necessary due to the outcome of the 2020 Census.
The nine-person DAB is charged with devising a plan that, according to Massachusetts General Law and the town’s charter would meet the following criteria:
• Each of the 5 Districts must be compact and contiguous, meaning no unusual protruding pieces of territory in any District
• District boundaries must always coincide with federal census block boundaries, following center lines of streets or ways, or other well-defined (visible) limits, such as streams, rivers, or railroad tracks, that constitute block boundaries
• If a District contains more than 4,000 inhabitants, said District shall be further divided into two or more Voting Precincts. When dividing a District into Voting Precincts, no Voting Precinct shall be so formed that it will be partly in one congressional district and partly in another congressional district.
• Every District’s population must be within 5 percent of the average District population for the town.
• Each District shall, to the extent possible, cluster together centers of common interest or neighborhoods, considering, but not limited to, places where people live, congregate, recreate, worship, shop, and learn.
Two proposed maps have been created and can be viewed online. The first map is at https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/57778/10-Precinct-Scenario---Map-1-Version-1, while the second can be seen at https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/57797/10-Precinct-Scenario---Map-2-Version-1?bidId=.
To submit reactions to either or both plans, residents are asked to email the town clerk at townclerk@amherstma.gov. The DAB must submit to the Town Council its final recommendations on Oct. 13.