Want to hear about Beaufort County’s redistricting plan? Here’s how to comment, attend
A group of state senators will visit the Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort Wednesday night to hear from the public about how to draw new districts for South Carolina Senate seats as well as the U.S. House.
The 6:30 p.m. meeting is part of a series of 10 public hearings held in July and August to determine how the new 2020 U.S. Census data will affect each district. Wednesday’s meeting will focus on the redistricting of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.
Both the House ad hoc committee and Senate subcommittee will use the Census data to draw maps for the 46 state Senate district, 124 state House districts and seven U.S. House districts.
South Carolina added nearly 500,000 people from 2010 to 2020 to become the 23rd largest state in the U.S. with 5.1 million people, according to the new Census data. However, by Aug. 16, the U.S. Census Bureau will release more detailed demographic data that will how show the ethnic, racial and voting age makeup of areas have changed.
This new data will inform the statewide redistricting, which is done every ten years.
The senate redistricting subcommittee is made up of four Republicans and three Democrats: Chair Luke Rankin (R-Horry), Chip Campsen III (R-Charleston), Tom Young Jr. (R-Aiken), Ronnie Sabb (D-Williamsburg), Margie Bright Matthews (D-Colleton), Scott Talley (R-Spartanburg) and Dick Harpootlian (R-Richland).
How to attend, watch
On Wednesday, residents will have a chance to voice their concerns and thoughts about the redistricting plan.
The public hearing will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in MacLean Hall at the Technical College of the Lowcountry at 921 Ribaut Road in Beaufort.
The subcommittee is accepting in-person, virtual and written testimony at the meeting. To sign up, email redistricting@scsenate.gov, call 803-212-6634, sign up in person, or sign up online at https://redistricting.scsenate.gov/contact.html.
The meeting will be streamed live on the S.C. Statehouse website. Requests to speak during the meeting must be sent by 4 p.m.
For a map of the current S.C. Senate districts, click here.
For a map of the current S.C. Congressional districts, click here.
