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Here’s how Washington’s legislative districts will change for this year’s elections

A fight over voting rights in the Yakima Valley has led to thousands of voters across a dozen counties getting moved into new districts.

By Bill Lucia, Washington State Standard
Published: April 4, 2024, 7:45am

A legal battle over the electoral power of Latino voters in Washington’s Yakima Valley is settled, for now.

To recap: U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik ruled in 2023 that the 15th Legislative District, as drawn by the state Redistricting Commission, violated the voting rights of Latinos and needed to be redone. He approved new boundaries last month.

The result – as you can see in the maps below – will affect communities across central and southwest Washington, and even a few on the edges of the Puget Sound region.

Opponents asked the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent the map’s use in the 2024 elections. On Tuesday, the high court said “no.” The redrawn district boundaries are still facing a challenge in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but any ruling there changing the map would only affect it from the 2026 election cycle onward.

This table shows the number of voters in each county shifted between legislative districts under the new map. If you are registered to vote now, you don’t have to do anything if your district does change. You will be automatically moved into your new district and receive a new voter registration card. (Data provided by Washington Secretary of State’s Office)

So now what? Boundaries of 13 legislative districts are getting revised ahead of the start of candidate filing on May 6. Tens of thousands of voters will cast ballots in new districts this year.

Are you one? Type in your address below to see. Plenty of cities are moving. East Wenatchee, Goldendale and Orting are a few.

If you are registered to vote, you don’t have to do anything if your district does change. You will be automatically moved into your new district and receive a new voter registration card.

You can enter your address into the search location bar to find out.

This map was approved under U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik’s March 15, 2024 court ruling. It will be in effect for the 2024 elections. With this map, known during legal proceedings as Remedial Map 3B, the boundaries of 13 legislative districts, spanning 12 counties are changed from the earlier version below. (Map boundary data: Washington Office of Financial Management, Map: Bill Lucia, Washington State Standard)

You can enter your address here to see if your district up until now differs from the one in the new map above.

The map above shows the Washington state legislative district boundaries that will be in effect until May of this year. These lines were drawn during the state’s 2021 redistricting process. (Map boundary data: Washington State Redistricting Commission, Map: Bill Lucia, Washington State Standard)

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