Each of the District’s eight wards will be redrawn by Dec. 31 based on recently released census data.

Discussion about the redistricting and plans for shifting ward borders has already begun.

Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, D.C.’s Ward 2, which is home to Georgetown as well as The George Washington University and Dupont Circle, experienced the greatest population spike in the District, gaining 11,046 people according to data recorded from the 2010 census. Washington, D.C. as a whole gained 29,664 people, marking a 5.2 percent population increase.

According to the website of the U.S. Census Bureau, census data are used specifically for redefining state legislative districts.

Kevin Stogner, a member of Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans’ staff, said that as of now there are many ways in which the redistricting could occur.

“Right now, there are dozens and dozens of scenarios. The only real rule is that boundaries have to be contiguous with themselves along with being no more than 5 percent above or below the median numbers,” Stogner said.

The D.C. Office of Zoning specifies that each ward should contain the same number of residents. Redistricting of each ward will follow due to changes in the population’s distribution demonstrated by the 2010 census. According to Stogner, Ward 2 will need to shrink while Ward 7, the easternmost part of the city, and Ward 8 in the southeast, must expand.

D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown announced that Evans and at-large Councilmember Michael Brown will co-chair the committee charged with redrawing ward boundaries, according to the Washington Examiner.

Formal hearings about redistricting will be held at least once during the day and once in the evening during the week of April 21, Stogner said. The purpose of these is to allow the public to contribute to the redistricting process.

“At this point the goal is to see what the positions are and get public input. We’ll start making decisions after we see what the options are,” Stogner said.

Stogner declined to comment on the reason for Ward 2’s growth in population, but Evans told The GW Hatchet that he wasn’t surprised about the ward’s population jump due to the rising popularity of the Dupont, Chinatown and Logan Circle areas.

Ward boundaries must be redrawn by July 14, according to the Hatchet. After that, the committee will begin working on altering the areas of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, single member districts and voting precincts, and the whole process must be finished by Dec. 31, according to The Hatchet.