County posts new election district maps

On Monday, Minden resident Chris Shorten filed for Douglas County School Board Area 7. On Tuesday, he found out that the new area boundary lies down the middle of his street, and he lives on the wrong side.

On Wednesday the county officially posted redistricting maps which have been a work in progress since October 2021, after the 2020 Census data was released months late due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Filing for public office wraps up at the end of business on Friday.

“Douglas County Geographic Information Systems has been working diligently to produce the maps which involved an intricate process,” county spokeswoman Melissa Blosser said. “The Douglas County Clerk-Treasurer’s Office conducted an extensive public procedure regarding the redistricting of the maps which included public input on the proposed maps of the County Commissioner Districts, School District Board Trustee Districts, and East Fork Fire Protection Districts.”

The new maps can be viewed at https://cltr.douglasnv.us/elections/additional-elections-links/maps/

“This has been a very elaborate process involving multiple resources at the County and State level and we have been working as quickly as possible to produce the maps with precision and timeliness,” said Douglas County Clerk-Treasurer Amy Burgans.

Redistricting is a process of redrawing the boundaries of the election districts within the County to reflect changes in population. Every 10 years, after receiving data from the Census, the district boundaries must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. Federal and State laws, including the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, provide legal requirements for redistricting.

To learn more about redistricting requirements, frequently asked questions, timelines, and to access feedback forms, please visit https://redistricting-douglasnvgis.hub.arcgis.com/.

The boundaries for the Board of County Commissioner Districts can only be changed through the adoption of an ordinance. On Jan. 6, commissioners heard public input and evaluated, discussed, and directed the boundary changes. Following the presentation of proposed maps at subsequent meetings, the ordinance was heard twice by the Board of Commissioners before it was adopted on Feb.3.

The requirements for redistricting the School District are set by State law.

A resolution was presented and passed by the Douglas County School Board of Trustees on Jan. 11, and then County Commissioners on Feb. 3.

The redistricting process is important in determining which communities are grouped together into a single district to ensure equal representation is given to the population by a county commissioner or school board trustee who resides within the district.

For additional comments or questions, contact the Douglas County Clerk-Treasurer’s Office at 775-783-6095 or email elections@douglasnv.us