Tips & Tricks

We’ll share some not-so-obvious capabilities here.

How to Split Precincts

Some users want to split precincts in their maps, e.g., so they can get population deviations smaller. While we support split precincts when importing a block-assignment file, we don’t have a feature in the map tools that lets you split precincts.

There is, however, a way to accomplish this:

1. Export the map as a block-assignment file (.csv).
2. Identify which blocks you want to reassign to split a precinct — Use a GIS tool like QGIS or ArcGIS for this.
3. Reassign those blocks to a different district — Use your favorite text editor or Microsoft Excel for this. Note: If you use Excel for this, specify that the “Id” column is “Text” (as opposed to the default “General”) when you import it into Excel.
4. Import the modified block-assignment file back into a new map.

In the new map, the precinct will be split.