Archived posts and files from the 2020-2022 Cranston Redistricting Process are listed below. This page will no longer be updated until the next redistricting process begins in 2030-2032.
Cranston Redistricting Process Final Steps (Posted April 1, 2022 - Updated May 12, 2022 and Aug. 15, 2022)
The Cranston Board of Canvassers mailed a postcard to all 60,000 registered voters in early August 2022 alerting voters to their new polling place, polling place address, precinct number, ward, registered party, and other district and election information. Please note that due to redistricting, your assigned polling place may have changed! Voters should contact the Canvassing Authority at 401-780-3121 with any questions about their new ward and district information or to locate their polling place, which can also be done online at vote.ri.gov.
New printed and online maps are available for the public as well as candidates for office. Printed maps of varying districts and sizes are available in the Canvassing Authority office at City Hall, Room 100, 869 Park Ave. in Cranston, for a small fee. PDF maps are made available on the city's website, or via email request, for free, by clicking this link.
Official voting district maps are also posted for public inspection in the Canvassing Authority office in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-11-2. Notice was also posted in the Cranston Herald in June 2022.
The maps approved by the City of Cranston are in effect for elections starting in September and November 2022, and will be in use through the 2030 election cycle. For all non-election city purposes, the ward new maps go into full effect with the swearing in of the new City Council on the first Monday of January in 2023.
Final Report of the Cranston Redistricting Commission and City Council Process (posted March 2, 2022 - Updated March 18, 2022 and April 1, 2022)
The Cranston Redistricting Commission met on March 1, 2022 and approved the Scenario A3 map and its associated Final Report to the City Council. Upon submission of its Final Report on March 1, the Commission was dissolved.
A Special City Council meeting was called for Monday, March 7, for the sole purposes of introduction and referral of redistricting documents to the Ordinance Committee for public hearing. The Ordinance Committee met on Thursday, March 17, at 6:30 p.m., and unanimously approved the Scenario A3 plan as submitted by the Redistricting Commission. The full City Council met and approved the final redistricting ordinance at its regular meeting on Monday, March 28. The final ordinance, as passed by the Council, was approved by Mayor Hopkins.
The deadline for the City of Cranston to complete the redistricting process and transmit all final data and maps to the Secretary of State was set no later than April 15, 2022.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE: Redistricting Commission Meeting for Map Scenario A3 and Final Report to the Council is Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, Third Floor at Cranston City Hall, and online via Zoom (Posted Feb. 18, 2022)
PUBLIC HEARING FOR COMMENT ON PROPOSED REDISTRICTING MAP
A public hearing for comment on a proposed Cranston redistricting map, Scenario A3, will be held by the Cranston Redistricting Commission, which will meet jointly with the Cranston Board of Canvassers on Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, Third Floor at Cranston City Hall, 869 Park Ave., Cranston, RI 02910-2786. The meeting will also be broadcast live via Zoom. Public testimony will be accepted both in-person and online via Zoom. The hearing will allow members of the public to review and provide feedback on a proposed map of Cranston wards that is under final consideration by the Redistricting Commission to be forwarded to the City Council for the Council’s review and possible adoption. An interactive, GIS web version and PDF version of the draft map, in addition to all associated data, is available for public review and download at the Cranston Redistricting Map Gallery. Additional public comment on the draft map, or comment related to any aspect of the redistricting process, may also be submitted via email at canvassing@cranstonri.org. Map Scenario A3 contains identical ward lines to the previously posted map, Scenario A1, which was presented for public comment at a previous Redistricting Commission hearing on October 6, 2021; no further ward boundary changes have been made to the map. Scenario A3 reflects final state precinct lines as enacted by the General Assembly on Feb. 15, 2022.
Final Draft Map Hearing on March 1 for Scenario A3 (posted Feb. 8, 2022 - updated Feb. 17, 2022)
The Cranston Redistricting Commission will meet for a public hearing on Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at Cranston City Hall to discuss and vote on a final draft map and report to the City Council. The meeting will be broadcast via Zoom and YouTube and public comment will be available both in person and virtually. The map under consideration is Scenario A3, which contains the same ward boundaries as Scenario A1 that the Commission held public hearings on previously, but has updated proposed precinct lines that reflect state Map D Sub-A As Amended and adopted by the General Assembly on Feb. 15. Scenario A3 updates zero-population block lines from the previous Scenario A2 to reflect the final state map; all three scenarios have the same ward boundaries. Shapefiles, data files, a PDF map, a population report, plan notes, and an interactive comparison tool to previous maps for the existing Plan 2012 as well as Scenarios A1, A2, and A3 are available by visiting the Redistricting Map Gallery. Public comment continues to be welcomed and encouraged as the Commission prepares to send its final draft map to the City Council. The Council Ordinance Committee is tentatively expected to hold a public hearing on the final draft map and report that it receives from the Commission on Thursday, March 17. The full Council is expected to take up the final redistricting plan at its regular meeting on March 28, 2022. The City must complete its redistricting process and submit final maps and updated street range data files to the Secretary of State no later than April 15, 2022.
State Reapportionment Commission Finishing Work Involving New Maps for Cranston (posted Dec. 20, 2021)
The Rhode Island Special Commission on Reapportionment is wrapping up its work and will be presenting its final draft maps to the General Assembly for approval in the coming weeks. The state's work has significant impacts on Cranston's ability to draw updated ward lines, precincts, and polling locations in the redistricting process. Map scenarios under consideration by the state are posted on the Rhode Island Redistricting website here. Members of the public are encouraged to view the maps and submit comment and feedback prior to the state Special Commission completing its work in early January. Visit the state's redistricting website at https://www.riredistricting.org/ for more information. The Cranston Redistricting Commission is continuing to monitor the process at the state level and has provided feedback to the state to aid in its work, including a map of city neighborhoods and communities of interest.
Redistricting Commission Continuing to Accept Public Feedback (posted Nov. 18, 2021)
The Cranston Redistricting Commission is continuing to accept public comment and submitted maps throughout this winter, including comment on the Scenario A1 map proposal. No meetings are presently scheduled while the Commission awaits the state Reapportionment process to complete, which will affect the Commission's future work. Members of the public may create and submit map ideas to the Commission using a variety of methods, including a free, easy-to-use map drawing tool at DistrictR (https://districtr.org/rhode-island - click on "Cities" and "Cranston" to begin; it is recommended to export files as JSON, SHP and CSV. Files can be submitted via email to canvassing@cranstonri.org). Please call the Redistricting Coordinator at 401-780-3128 with any questions regarding public comment or map idea submissions, or you may email canvassing@cranstonri.org. Public comment will be shared with the three members of the Redistricting Commission and placed in the record.
Oct. 6, 2021 Public Hearing on Redistricting Map Scenario A1 (posted Sept. 17, 2021 - updated Oct. 7, 2021)
A public hearing for comment on a draft Cranston redistricting map, Scenario A1, was held by the Cranston Redistricting Commission, which met on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021 at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, Third Floor at Cranston City Hall, 869 Park Ave., Cranston, RI 02910-2786. The hearing allowed members of the public to review and provide feedback on a draft map of Cranston wards that is under consideration by the Commission. An interactive, GIS web version and PDF version of the draft map, in addition to all associated data, is also available for public review at the Cranston Redistricting Map Gallery on the Redistricting webpage, which is available here. Public comment on the draft map, or comment related to any aspect of the redistricting process, may continue to be submitted via email at canvassing@cranstonri.org. As of Oct. 6, Scenario A1 has been approved as the working draft of the Redistricting Commission. No final draft map may be considered until after the state Reapportionment Commission completes its work this winter, and the Cranston Commission will continue to receive and review map scenarios in the interim.
Redistricting Maps and Files (posted Aug. 20, 2021)
The Cranston Redistricting Commission has prepared the below files for public review. They include an interactive map of current Cranston voting districts and elected officials based on 2012 boundaries; a comprehensive Census 2020 data viewer with information on population statistics at the census block level; a PDF map showing change in population from 2010-2020; and an interactive neighborhood map for redistricting purposes, which incorporates public feedback from recent meetings and hearings.
All of these items can now be viewed here at the Cranston Redistricting Gallery - additional interactive maps and datasets, including shapefiles and redistricting data, will be published here as they become available. Also available is a Redistricting Summary Report that shows target populations for 2012 wards and precincts with 2020 redistricting data.
Release of 2020 Census Redistricting Data (posted Aug. 13, 2021 - updated Aug. 17, 2021)
The United States Census Bureau released its Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data Summary Files on Aug. 12, 2021. This data will be used by the Cranston Redistricting Commission to draft its final report to the Cranston City Council in early 2022. The data is in a raw file format that requires technical knowledge to export and view. A link to the raw data is on the right of this page, and accompanying explanations and instructions from the Census Bureau may be found here. A breakdown summary report of the data as reflected in the six current wards of Cranston is now available on the right of this page.
The Census Bureau has also published an interactive map showing various demographic data at the tract level, which may be found by clicking here. The map includes information on group quarters, race, Hispanic origin, housing, population density, population change since 2010, and other datasets.
Over the next several weeks, the Cranston Redistricting Commission staff will review and prepare the released raw data into files and maps for easier understanding and public consumption. When ready for publication, those files and maps will be posted on this page.
The 2020 Census population numbers revealed that the City of Cranston is the second most populous municipality in Rhode Island, with a total population of 82,934. This is an increase of 2,547 people, or 3.2%, since the 2010 Census, which reported Cranston's population as 80,387. While most detailed 2020 Census data is not yet available in data tables online, you may view 2020 population data for Cranston or any other Rhode Island municipality online at this link.
Public Hearing for Comment on Draft Redistricting Neighborhood Map (posted July 22, 2021 - updated Aug. 13, 2021)
A
public hearing for comment on a draft redistricting neighborhood map
was held by the Cranston Redistricting Commission on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. The hearing
allowed members of
the public to review and provide feedback on a draft map of Cranston
neighborhoods, created using 2020 Census block boundaries lines.
An
electronic PDF version of the draft neighborhood map is available on
the Redistricting webpage, under the Canvassing Authority webpage on
the City of Cranston website, by clicking HERE.. Public comment on the draft map may be submitted at canvassing@cranstonri.org.
Interactive 2020 Census Cranston Block Boundary Map (posted May 26, 2021)
An interactive Census Block Boundary map of Cranston's block boundaries, constructed from released 2020 Census block boundary data, is now available for viewing online here: https://cranston.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/19aff83fa36243e2b99fb4c1620be2be
The map forms the foundation of the upcoming redistricting process, featuring the blocks, block groups, and census tracts that will be used to draw state and local district boundaries, among other information and data layers.
This summer, the Redistricting Commission will begin holding public hearings and soliciting public feedback to generate a conceptual neighborhood map of the city, using census block boundaries, to identify areas of the city that should be kept together as neighborhoods and communities of interest in the ward redistricting process
Cranston Redistricting Commission Background
The Cranston Redistricting Commission is a temporary advisory committee created by the Cranston City Council, comprised of the three regular members of the Cranston Board of Canvassers. The Commission's objective is to prepare a detailed draft redistricting plan (or plans) for submission to the City Council for the Council's consideration and ultimate approval. The City Council's final plan, upon passage by the Council by ordinance, will be transmitted to the Mayor for approval, and will ultimately be forwarded to the Rhode Island General Assembly for ratification. New ward and precinct boundaries will then go into effect for the 2022 election cycle.
The Commission was created by the City Council on March 22, 2021. It will meet as needed in 2021 and during the first half of 2022 to complete its work. Meeting notices will be posted on this page, on the city calendar athttps://www.cranstonri.gov/calendar/, and on the Secretary of State's Open Meetings Portal at https://opengov.sos.ri.gov/OpenMeetingsPublic/OpenMeetingDashboard?subtopmenuId=201&EntityID=738. Meeting notices will also be posted at the Cranston City Hall and Cranston Central Public Library notice bulletin boards. From time to time, the Redistricting Commission may elect to hold public hearings, which will additionally be advertised in the Cranston Herald.
As the process matures, public documents, map proposals, approved scenarios, and population data will be posted on this page, along with additional means of public involvement in redistricting, including opportunities for the submission of maps.
Redistricting takes place following the August 16, 2021 release of 2020 Census data, ahead of the 2022 election cycle. The local process cannot be completed until the Rhode Island General Assembly creates its own state district lines through its own state Reapportionment Commission, which is now meeting. In the meantime, the Cranston Redistricting Commission has begun preliminary work, fact-finding, and soliciting public input on the process so work can progress on a definitive timeline over the winter and into next spring.
At the conclusion of the process in May 2022, following adoption of a final plan by the City of Cranston, the Cranston Board of Canvassers will mail a postcard to all 60,000 registered Cranston voters informing them of their new (or unchanged) congressional, ward, state precinct, and state representative and state senate districts, as well as the assigned default polling place for their precinct for the 2022 General Election and future general elections for the next 10 years.
The work of the Redistricting Commission is guided by its direction from the City Council, applicable federal and state law and court precedent, and the Cranston City Charter, which was recently amended by the voters of the City in the November 2020 election as follows:
Sec. 2.03 – Elective officers—Mayor and council.
By ordinance, the city shall be divided into six wards in such a manner that each ward shall: (1) consist of a compact and contiguous portion of the city; (2) respect the geographic integrity of local neighborhoods or local communities of interest in a manner which minimizes their division to the extent possible; (3) be bounded by major roads or natural features to the extent possible. All wards shall contain as nearly as possible an equal number of inhabitants as determined by the most recent federal decennial census, and shall request that such plan be enacted into law. The place of residence of any incumbent or political candidate shall not be considered in the creation of wards. Wards shall not be drawn for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent, political candidate, or political party.
Redistricting takes place following each decennial Census to adjust voting district boundaries, due to changes over time in population. The 2022 voting districts will be in place until the next redistricting process, in 2031-2032, following completion of the next federal Census. You can find out more about the U.S. Census Bureau and the 2020 Census process here: https://www.census.gov/2020census
To view up-to-date, interactive city ward, voting district, and legislative district maps in the City of Cranston, click the following link and click on the appropriate map:
Find Your Polling Place and Elected Officials
For inquiries about the redistricting process, or questions about how to find your local elected officials, please contact the redistricting coordinator at 401-780-3128 or canvassing@cranstonri.gov. You can look up your current elected officials, city ward, and voting precinct information online at vote.ri.gov.
2021-2022 Redistricting Commission Membership:
Randall A. Jackvony
Chairperson (R)
Gary J. Vierra
Member (R)
Quilcia I. Moronta
Member (D)
Nicholas J. Lima
Staff - Redistricting Coordinator
Maria Giarrusso
Staff - GIS Manager