District of Columbia Code
Part A - General
§ 1–309.03. Single-member districts

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by temporary legislation that will expire on February 12, 2023. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Permanent Version.*
(a) The Council shall, by act, establish single-member districts for each of the neighborhood commission areas in § 1-309.02. Such districts shall be established in a timely manner following the receipt of alternate plans from the ward task forces on Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, established by § 1-1041.01. Each single-member district shall have a population of approximately 2,000 people, and shall be as nearly equal as possible. The boundaries of the single-member districts shall conform to the greatest extent possible with the boundaries of the census blocks which are established by the United States Bureau of the Census. Each advisory neighborhood commission area shall be located to the greatest extent possible within the boundaries of 1 election ward. An advisory neighborhood commission area may be located within 2 election wards if the location results from the limitations of census geography or if the location promotes a rational public policy, including, but not limited to, respect for the natural geography of the District, neighborhood cohesiveness, or the development of compact and contiguous areas. Upon adoption of the act establishing such districts, the Council shall cause a description of the boundaries of each such district to be published in the District of Columbia Register.
(b) The Council shall, by act after public hearing by the Council’s Committee of the Whole, make such adjustments in the boundaries of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission single-member districts and the Advisory Neighborhood Commission areas as are necessary as a result of population shifts and changes. Such adjustments shall be made in a timely manner following the receipt of alternative plans from the ward task forces on Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, established by § 1-1041.01. Any adjustments made by the Council less than 154 days prior to a regularly scheduled election shall not be effective for that election.
(Oct. 10, 1975, D.C. Law 1-21, § 4, 22 DCR 2066; Oct. 30, 1975, D.C. Law 1-27, § 4, 22 DCR 2472; June 23, 1981, D.C. Law 4-14, § 2(a), 28 DCR 2132; Mar. 16, 1982, D.C. Law 4-87, § 5(a), 29 DCR 433; Mar. 10, 1983, D.C. Law 4-199, § 7, 30 DCR 119; June 22, 1983, D.C. Law 5-13, § 3, 30 DCR 2433; Sept. 26, 1984, D.C. Law 5-111, § 2(a), 31 DCR 3952; Mar. 8, 1991, D.C. Law 8-240, § 3, 38 DCR 337; June 30, 2022, D.C. Law 24-130, § 3(a), 69 DCR 004404.)
1981 Ed., § 1-254.
1973 Ed., § 1-171b.
This section is referenced in § 1-1041.02, § 25-336, and § 25-340.01.
Elections, ward task forces, reports, see § 1-1041.02.
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3(a) of Advisory Neighborhood Commission Redistricting Deadline Extension Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-451, June 28, 2022, 69 DCR 007760).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3(a) of Advisory Neighborhood Commission Redistricting Deadline Extension Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-347, Mar. 28, 2022, 0 DCR 0).
For temporary (90 day) establishment of boundaries, see § 2 of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Boundaries Emergency Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-359, April 30, 2002, 49 DCR 4639).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2 of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Boundaries Establishment Emergency Amendment Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-451, July 23, 2002, 49 DCR 7873).
For temporary (90 day) establishment and applicability of Advisory Neighborhood Commission and single-member district area boundaries, see §§ 2, 3 of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Boundaries Emergency Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-341, April 8, 2012, 59 DCR 2788).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5C Allotments Authorization Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-297, March 14, 2014, 61 DCR 2564, 20 DCSTAT 3064).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 3(a) of Advisory Neighborhood Commission Redistricting Deadline Extension Temporary Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-130, June 30, 2022, 69 DCR 004404).
Section 2 of D.C. Law 19-145 establishes boundaries for Advisory Neighborhood Commission areas and single-member districts within Advisory Neighborhood Commission areas.
Section 3 of D.C. Law 19-145 provided:
“Sec. 3. Applicability of boundaries.
“(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the ANC and SMD boundaries set forth in section 2(a) shall apply as of January 2, 2013.
“(b) The ANC and SMD boundaries set forth in section 2(a) shall apply for purposes of administering the November 6, 2012 election, including determining qualifications for candidacy and the residence of a person signing a nominating petition for the November 6, 2012 election.”
Section 7(b) of D.C. Law 19-145 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.