Politics
New Study Examines the Impact of Ward Redistricting in Chicago
New research shows ward boundaries shape more than we might realize.
The study, which tracks 100 years of ward redistricting in Chicago and Milwaukee, found that 15% of Chicago’s land has never changed wards. Researchers argue neighborhoods that have not been redistricted, referred to as “untouched communities,” are the ones in the best position to hold political influence and benefit from public resources. Through their historical analysis, researchers suggest these communities are protected through state laws and settlement formation as the result of 19th century settler colonialism and gerrymandering.
The study also concludes that neighborhoods that include predominately Black, Latino, immigrant and working-class communities are disproportionately redistricted.
Robert Vargas, sociology professor at the University of Chicago, director of the UChicago Justice Project and corresponding author of the study, said ward redistricting mechanisms have changed over time.
“In the spirit of trying to maintain and provide racially fair maps, a consequence of this is the dividing up and splitting of communities,” Vargas said. “I think what’s really crucial now is with the rolling back of the Voting Rights Act, which we’ve seen with Louisiana v. Callais, people who are concerned about racial equity are having to go back to the drawing board.”
Chicago has redrawn its maps 21 times since 1837. The most recent redistricting took place in 2022, when members of City Council’s Latino Caucus fought for drawing more majority Latino wards to account for the community’s rapidly growing population. It was also the first time a majority Asian American district (11th Ward) was drawn.
“The process of trying to create a majority or minority ward, like a ward that has a majority number of Black or Latino residents, is a lot harder than you would think because that requires you to draw very oddly shaped districts to get those numbers,” Vargas said.
During the 2022 redistricting period, residents fought for more of a say in how ward boundaries are drawn, citing frustration in neighborhoods that are divided among multiple wards to keep ward population even. For example, Englewood is split across five wards (6th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 20th), leaving residents with different alderpeople and resources.
Vargas also said split neighborhoods could see higher crime rates and slower responses to 311 service requests.
Chicago’s ward boundaries must be redrawn by Dec. 1 in the year after the census, which is taken every 10 years. According to the city’s rules, each of the 50 wards must be “compact, contiguous, and of substantially equal population with an acceptable deviation to respect established communities of interest, among other legal considerations.”
The study also acknowledged that factors like proximity to city limits and population increases can impact whether a neighborhood is redistricted.
In February, Chicagoans will vote for members of City Council.
Vargas is encouraging voters to try an alternate approach when voicing their opinions on where their neighborhood falls on Chicago’s ward map.
“Historically, City Council members have been looking out for their self interests in drawing maps,” Vargas said. “I would say look to the state legislature because Chicago history shows that in the way that the laws work, the state of Illinois has a lot of power over how cities and local governments can govern themselves.”
