CRANBERRY TWP — Township officials, upset that Cranberry was split by the state's new, court-drawn congressional district map and concerned that some voters will be confused, are preparing to formally urge the state to reform its redistricting process.

Cranberry was split by the new congressional map laid out by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, after the previous map was ruled an unconstitutional gerrymander earlier this year. Much of the west of the township is in the 17th Congressional District. The other portion of the township is represented by the 16th Congressional District.

Not only was the township split, but four of its nine voting precincts were split as well. Cranberry East 2 and 3 and West 1 and 2 are split between the two congressional districts. Cranberry East 1 is in District 16. Cranberry West 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in District 17.

“That simply is crazy,” said Dick Hadley, chairman of the township's board of supervisors. “It's not fair. It's not constitutional.”

Township supervisors will vote Thursday to approve a resolution supporting a citizens commission for legislative and congressional redistricting. Butler City passed a similar resolution in November.

An impartial citizens commission is something Fair District PA is advocating for; Fair Districts PA is a nonpartisan, statewide group advocating for redistricting reform. It would take a change to the state's constitution for this to happen.

Currently state legislators redraw voting districts every 10 years to reflect population changes. The next change will happen after the 2020 census.

More than 200 municipalities and counties statewide have passed resolutions in support of a citizens commission to handle redistricting.

“We agree that the redistricting should be done in a nonpolitical way,” Hadley said.

Hadley said they know a change to the map isn't likely before the May 15 primary or even the general election in November, but he hopes a better process for fair redistricting that represents both political parties and municipalities can be found for the future.

Hadley said municipalities are only supposed to be split during redistricting as a last resort, and he doesn't see the recent Supreme Court's remedial map as a last resort, but as a function of lining up population size in each district.

The confusing part is how the Supreme Court laid out the changes, Hadley said. There is an interactive map online on the Pennsylvania Department of State's website at www.dos.pa.gov, where residents can zoom in to find which district they reside in.

There are also written descriptions of the changes on the website, but they are listed by census tracts and not by streets, which can be confusing to understand, said Shari Brewer, director of the Butler County Bureau of Elections.

The best way for a resident to find out what congressional district they are in is in to call the county Bureau of Elections, Brewer said. Their mapping department is also working on a map that clearly lays out the changes, but she's not sure that it will be complete before the state's May 15 primary.

Cranberry Township officials are still concerned about their influence, and the county's influence in Washington, D.C., being diluted because of the new map.

“We shouldn't be alienating voters. We should make it easy for people to vote and know who's going to represent them,” Hadley said. “It's crazy for a municipality to be split into two congressional districts. Who represents the interests of Cranberry Township when it's all said and done? What congressman or woman do we go to?”

District 16 includes most of western Butler County, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence and Mercer counties. District 17 includes a portion of Cranberry Township, Beaver County and the northwestern part of Allegheny County.

Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, is running unopposed in the Republican primary in the new 16th congressional district, but could face possible challengers in the fall. Chris Rieger of Cranberry Township, Robert Multari of Hermitage, Mercer County and Ron DiNicola of Millcreek, Erie County are seeking the Democratic nomination.

Rep. Keith Rothfus is seeking re-election in the new 17th Congressional District and will face either U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-18th, or Ray Linsenmayer, both of Allegheny County, who are seeking the Democratic nomination.

Jefferson Township was also split by the new map, with part of the township sitting in District 16 and part in District 15.