Alleged back-room political deals. Incumbents who seem to have a bigger voice in the process. Murky decision-making by a supposedly independent commission.
Now, after three rounds of sometimes raucous public hearings, the redistricting process is near its bitter end.
The 15-member District Commission, tasked with redrawing the lines to reflect demographic changes in the city, released the final version of the district lines on Monday.
The New York City Council quietly filed the maps and no council members lodged complaints, meaning the plan was effectively adopted.
Next, the Department of Justice will need to evaluate whether or not the communities falling in between the lines are either willfully or inadvertently discriminated against based on race or color. Otherwise known as the Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, the protections only apply to Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
The Department of Justice will have 60 days after it receives the commission's maps to evaluate the lines for the city's 51 districts.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!
Michael H. Drucker
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