Beaufort County and USCB are hosting an informational meeting on County redistricting at 6 p.m., Wednesday, October 27, at USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret, Beaufort. Speakers include Frank Rainwater, Executive Director, and Victor Frontroth, both from the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office.

Wednesday's meeting will be the kick-off to the redrawing of the Beaufort County Council district map. The guest speakers from Columbia will present the 2020 data overlaid on the current County Council map. This will show the population shifts and what will need to be addressed during the redistricting process. Then they will go over all the rules and factors that will need to be followed during the process.

After this meeting, the County Administrator and County Council members will decide on a timeline, public hearing schedule, and comment periods to draw options for the new map. Once those options have been identified and public comment provided, County Council will decide which is the best option and send the packet to SC Department Revenue and Fiscal Affairs who will consult with federal Department of Justice to ensure all legal requirements have been met. 

Redistricting is the process of enacting new congressional and state legislative district boundaries. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity. Boundaries must also be as contiguous and compact as possible and keep communities of interest in their entirety.

Upon completion of the process, South Carolina will draft and enact new district maps.

The meeting will be live streamed on The County Channel. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.