FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Crockett Announces Voting Precinct Redistricting Efforts to Ensure Equal Representation
City of Crockett [1/4/2024] — The City of Crockett is completing a crucial redistricting initiative to uphold the principle of "one person, one vote" as mandated by the United States Supreme Court in Reynolds v. Sims (1964). Every ten years, following the release of the decennial census, districts must be redrawn to reflect changes in population growth or decline and maintain equal voter representation.
The City recognizes the significance of adhering to the one person – one vote principle, ensuring that City Council precincts are equal in population according to the most recent census. To meet this requirement, districts within political subdivisions (other than the United States Congress) are considered balanced if the total population deviation is within 10%.
Recently, the City of Crockett engaged the services of the Powell Law Group, a reputable demographer, to assess its precinct populations after the 2020 census. The analysis revealed a precinct population deviation of 55.06%, exceeding the 10% allowance and placing the city out of compliance with the Voting Rights Act.
The Powell Law Group has proposed a map that not only brings precinct populations back into compliance with the one person – one vote requirement but also allows incumbents to retain their respective precincts. Importantly, this proposed map ensures the preservation of existing polling locations familiar to voters.
In line with past redistricting commitments, the proposed map designates Precincts 2, 3, and 4 as majority minority districts. Precincts 3 and 4 specifically have African American majorities among the Citizen Voting Age Population, honoring the City's agreement in the 1990s redistricting litigation Smith v. Crockett ISD, in which the City of Crockett was an intervenor.
The City of Crockett invites public input on the proposed map, which will be presented at a special-called Council Meeting on January 8, 2024, at 6 PM. The map can be viewed on the City's website www.crocketttexas.org or in person at City Hall Lobby, located at 200 North 5th St., Crockett, TX 75835.
Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher encourages community members to actively participate in the public hearing, stating, "We value the input of our citizens as we work to create fair and balanced representation for everyone in our community. This process reflects our commitment to transparency and equal representation of our entire community."
For more information, please visit www.crocketttexas.org/news or contact John Angerstein, City Administrator at angersteinj [at] crocketttexas.org or by calling 936-544-5156.