RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) A federal court order filed on September 23 brought two major developments in the fight over congressional redistricting in Virginia.
A 3-judge panel appointed an expert to oversee the process. Dr. Bernard Grofman will help redraw the boundaries. A political science professor at the University of California Irvine, Dr. Grofman will review the redistricting plans and comments, then make a recommendation to the court.
The panel also ruled that the public should be able to see maps submitted to the court by legislators and outside parties. Officials said having proposed maps available online would bring constituents into the redistricting process, giving them more input on how lines are drawn.
There are ten proposed congressional maps on the Division of Legislative Services website. The plans come from Virginia delegates as well as outside parties.
The court order means the maps will stay on the public website, allowing constituents to see them, download them and weigh in on their fairness. The order also extended the deadline from October 2 to October 7 for anyone to submit feedback on the proposed maps submitted to the court.
The panel had ordered the General Assembly to redraw new maps by September 1, but lawmakers failed to meet the deadline.
“If they move quickly enough and get a new map out by the end of this year, roughly, then that could still be in play for the 2016 election,” said political analyst Richard Meagher.
In June a federal court ruled Virginia’s third congressional district had been illegally packed with black voters to make surrounding districts safer for republican incumbents.
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