Redistricting season officially kicked off with Thursday’s release of detailed population data from the U.S. Census Bureau that will be used to redraw local, state and national voting districts in the coming months.
It could determine control of Congress, the Texas Legislature, and city and county alignments beginning with the 2022 elections. The League of Women Voters of the Comal Area is hosting a Redistricting Mapping Event from 2-3:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at Westside Community Center, 2932 South Interstate 35 Frontage Road in New Braunfels.
LWV-Texas is sponsoring the event, which will identify, define and map area and regional communities of interest, called COIs.
The Census will also shape representational boundaries for Comal County, city of New Braunfels, and the Comal and New Braunfels independent school districts.
“We expect about 20 community leaders to participate and COVID precautions observed for the in-person event,” the league said of the workshop, which will be followed by a Sept. 18 virtual Zoom COI event for Comal and Hays county, featuring prototypical maps developed at earlier in-person mapping events.
As they did after the 2010 census, Republicans will hold greater sway in the 2020 redistricting process. They need to gain only five seats to take control of the U.S. House in 2022 — a margin that could potentially be covered through artful redistricting.
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