Wareham will lose Congressman Barney Frank when the town is moved into the state's new 9th congressional district next year.

Every ten years following the completion of the U.S. Census, the state legislature is charged with redrawing the lines of voting districts to reflect shifts in population.

This year, Massachusetts lost a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the Census, completed earlier this year, revealed a drop in population. Governor Deval Patrick approved the redistricting plan, created by a joint committee of members of the state House of Representatives and Senate, on November 3.

Wareham is currently the easternmost town in the 4th congressional district, represented by Frank, a Newton democrat.

The new 9th district, which will become effective for the 2012 election cycle, covers all of Cape Cod and the Islands, New Bedford, parts of Fall River, and north to the Town of Norwell.

The redistricting plan put democratic congressmen William Keating and Stephen Lynch in the same district (8). The lawmakers would have to run against each other for the seat, but Keating has said that he plans to move from his home in Quincy to his summer home in Bourne to run in the 9th congressional district.

On the state side, the plan shakes up the 2nd Plymouth district, in which Wareham is located, changing the area that State Representative Susan Williams Gifford (R-Wareham) will cover. When the changes take effect, Gifford will represent Wareham, Carver, and precincts 3 and 6 of Middleborough - rather than Wareham, Carver, and Bourne.

A separate bill also signed by Patrick on November 3 impacted the state Senate districts, though there was no change to State Senator Marc Pacheco's (D-Taunton) 1st Plymouth and Bristol district, in which Wareham is located.

For more information about redistricting, visit www.malegislature.gov/District.