Rob Paral, Political Redistricting in Metro Chicago: What Can We Expect?

Please join us for a live-streamed event on January 21, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. with demographic expert Rob Paral who will discuss what political redistricting will mean for the Chicago metropolitan area following the 2020 census.

The initial results of the 2020 census are to be delivered to the President, Congress, and the states by December 31, 2020.  The new population counts will set in motion a profound reshaping of political boundaries across the nation.  For metro Chicago, political redistricting will reshape Chicago wards, Cook County judicial sub-circuits, state legislative districts, and other jurisdictions. The newly created boundaries will reflect a region that has extremely uneven patterns of growth across regions and racial/ethnic groups.

Rob Paral will address a set of key issues that will emerge as redistricting unfolds in 2021:

• How will demographic trends affect the outcome of redistricting?
• Which communities face loss, or gain, of political influence?
• How are districts redrawn?
• What role does the Voting Rights Act play?

Rob will address these and other issues related to redistricting and the impact of the 2020 census.  His firm, Rob Paral and Associates, recently redrew the boundaries of the Illinois State Legislature for the Better Government Association, showing that more rationally shaped and less gerrymandered districts are possible.

Rob is currently a Nonresident Fellow with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a Research Specialist with the Great Cities Institute of the University of Illinois at Chicago.  His firm has assisted more than 100 different human service, advocacy, and philanthropic organizations in understanding the communities they are trying to serve.  He writes about Chicago demographic trends on the Chicago Data Guy blog.

January 21, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. CST

Register in advance for this webinar:  Zoom Registration Link

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

There is no charge for this event for members and their guests.

You can apply for membership here.