Commissioners review redistricting standards

During a special meeting of the Commissioner’s Court on October 7, Chuck Kimber, attorney for the court, presented considerations and lawful framework under which county districts are recommended to be redrawn by or before November 12, 2021.

Mr. Kimber first addressed the issue of the 2020 Census. The census data was provided late due to the 2020 pandemic and is argued to be a grossly inaccurate count, as many people simply did not participate in the 2020 Census.

Bandera County’s 2020 census count was 20,851, up 366 from the 2010 Census. However, the federal government’s numbers are fixed, and it is what we must work from, explained Kimber.

Kimber expounded every 10 years the county must review the territorial lines of their respective districts under the “one-person, one-vote” rule of the United States Constitution in order to equalize and protect the power of the vote.

Data from the 2020 Census is broken into census blocks; from these blocks, data is entered into each of the district lines to see if a balance exists. If a county balances within 10 percent, it is not required to redistrict. A county that balances within 10 percent is known to have the safe harbor rule. County Commissioners that are required to redraw have until November 12 to get their districts redrawn and approved.

With respect to Bandera County’s examination for redistricting, the county’s number of 20,851 is to be divided by the four precincts in Bandera County, which comes to 5,213, the ideal number for that precinct to be considered balanced.

However, the individual precincts deviate from that balance. Precinct one has 5,573 (+ deviation of 6.91 percent), precinct two has 5,393 (+ deviation of 3.46 percent), precinct three has 4,884 (-deviation of 6.31 percent) and precinct four has 5,001 (-deviation of 4.06 percent).

Ultimately, Bandera County is 13.22 percent out of balance, which does not follow the safe harbor rule.

Under federal law, Bandera County has an obligation to redistrict by redrawing their lines. The commissioners discussed the option to order their own county recount as a contesting action, but concurred that it would be too soon before the deadline. It was also not the opinion of Kimber for the court to oppose.

The commissioners unanimously voted in favor on two orders that will serve as a guidance for the redistricting review process. The first was a criteria order that considers practical redistricting rules.

Third party submissions of redistricting plans, including from the public, must analyze all four districts and must conform to the guidelines. The second was a guidelines order that sets common sense positions on policy statements designed to speak to the public and reflects the legal authority under which project plan is to be followed.