A Community of Interest is a group of people that:
- share common social or economic interests
- live in a geographically definable area
- should be included within a single district for purposes of effective and fair representation in future elections
There are some communities of interest that are considered “protected classes” in that they have rights through state or federal civil rights or voting rights laws. Some examples of protected classes in districting would be ethnic and racial minorities such as a concentration of Latinx, Asian, or African American people.
Other potential COIs that can also be considered in redistricting:
- senior citizens
- college students
- people who live in a particular neighborhood
- people who share concerns such as parents with young children, bicycle enthusiasts, topic interest group, etc.
COIs do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
What You Can Do to Participate in the Process 
- Provide your comments on your community of interest by completing the online COI worksheet below.
- Complete the COI worksheet and send it as an attachment via the Contact form here, email it to cityclerk@cityofmartinez.org, or return a hard copy to City Hall at 525 Henrietta Street, Attn: City Clerk, Martinez, CA 94553-2395. If you need additional space for your responses to the questions, then please feel free to attach a sheet of paper.
- Attend one of the IRC’s Public Hearings, Meetings or Workshops.