Skip Alston's map

Skip Alston Map

Skip Alston, Democratic chair of the Guilford County Commission has submitted a redistricting map to meet the requirements of a state law reducing the number of districts on the board and also to respond to the news population numbers for the county following the 2010 Census.

Beyond meeting requirements of federal and state law to ensure three majority minority districts, the Alston plan features bizarrely drawn lines that cobble together disparate geographic areas. The lines appear to be drawn for the purpose of ensuring that incumbents win and creating five seats that heavily favor Democratic candidates. In contrast, the more compact maps proposed by the county GOP, have four seats that are favorable to Democrats and four favorable to Republicans. Alston said last week that he received help for his map from a group of "trusted advisors" whose identity, he said, was "confidential."

Some additional analysis from YES! Weekly here.

Courtesy of the county Republican Party, here is the full complement of proposed maps with accompanying voter and demographic data.

One way or another, the district lines will be redrawn — that's a given every 10 years following the Census. You can be sure that elected officials, political operatives and party activists will be involved. Ordinary citizens should be engaged and vocal, too.