The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved its process and schedule for redistricting the nine supervisor districts in the county on Tuesday.

Chairman Sharon Bulova said the purpose of redistricting is to ensure equitably sized voting districts.

"The plan we adopted today will allow us to act quickly and involve the community to ensure Fairfax County residents are properly represented on the Board of Supervisors in time for the elections," Bulova said.

She said growth in Fairfax County during the last 10 years will mean there are changes but the changes necessary won't be clear until the data from the 2010 U.S. Census can be analyzed.

State officials made a key change to the 2011 election schedule, moving primaries from June to mid-August or even early September, to allow for more time for redistricting.

Data to redraw the district lines will not be available from the U.S. Census Bureau until February. The Board of Supervisors will approve a redistricting plan in late April and it will then have to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. The new districts will likely not be official until June.

The Board of Supervisors established an Advisory Citizen Committee to participate in the process with county staff. Each district supervisor will appoint one member to the community along with countywide organizations.

Bulova appointed former Board of Supervisors Chairman Katherine Hanley to serve as one of two at-large members of the committee.

"As a former Secretary of the Commonwealth and Board Chairman, Kate clearly has the knowledge and experience to be an active and important member of the Committee. She is also a veteran of three redistrictings," she said.