Overview

• The Commissioners Court approved new precinct boundaries Tuesday on a party-line 3-2 vote that is projected to shift the court’s balance to a 3-1 Republican majority.
• The map was prepared by Adam Kincaid of the National Republican Redistricting Trust under contract from the Public Interest Legal Foundation, which presented seven options to commissioners.
• Democratic commissioners repeatedly postponed the vote while demanding answers from redistricting advisers and highlighting that nine citizen-submitted maps were never considered.
• More than 80 protesters gathered outside the administration building and 12 Hispanic officials signed letters condemning the plan as racial gerrymandering that concentrates Black and Hispanic voters.
• Voting rights advocates say the new boundaries breach the federal Voting Rights Act and signal imminent legal challenges to the county’s redistricting process.