City and town clerks across the state are looking at new election maps and new numbers for Maine Senate and House districts in the wake of reapportionment, which is also often called redistricting.

For voters, it may mean changes in their House district boundaries; and in some Senate districts, communities that have traditionally been grouped together may not be for the 2014 election and beyond. Alfred, for example, which had traditionally been grouped with Sanford, Waterboro and other communities west of the turnpike in Senate District 3, will now be grouped with Arundel, Biddeford, Dayton, Kennebunkport and Lyman in Senate District 32. 

Senate District 34 groups Acton, Berwick, Kennebunk, Lebanon, North Berwick and Wells. Biddeford, which currently is split into two Senate seats, won’t be any longer, but some smaller communities will see their towns split into two House districts. Part of Shapleigh is grouped with Lebanon and Acton in House District 20, and the rest of Shapleigh is grouped with Alfred, Limerick, Newfield and Parsonsfield in House District 21.

“Because a state’s population can grow, shrink or shift, voting districts are adjusted or redrawn every 10 years in Maine,” according to the Secretary of State’s website. “In general, the purpose is to make sure all districts have about the same number of people in them, so that all citizens have equal representation in government.”

For the 2014 elections, every district for the Maine House of Representatives will have approximately 8,797 people, and every state Senate district will cover about 37,953 people.

There have been some changes as well in County Commission districts. In York County, each County Commission district would ideally contain 39,426 people, according to the Secretary of State. That didn’t quite happen; three of the districts have slightly less than the ideal in population, according to state maps, while one had slightly more and one district gained almost 5 percent more than the ideal.

In Sanford, City Clerk Sue Cote is busy redrawing the city’s seven ward line boundaries and examining where polling stations are located. Currently, Sanford has five polling stations.

She’s also looking at the new legislative districts and said if folks have questions, they can call City Hall.

In Biddeford, City Clerk Carmen Morris said most changes aren’t major ones. The biggest, she said, is that some of what used to be in the city’s coastal House district has moved to the middle “wraparound” district that surrounds the city core.

She, too, said those with questions may call City Hall. Morris said it is important for folks to remember that whomever their current state representative or senator is now will remain so until after the November election.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].