DeKalb County Commissioner Jeff Rader to Present Resolution in Support of General and Super District Maps as Approved by Georgia’s Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office
Approved maps support little deviation from existing district lines and maintain two levels of representation
DeKalb County District 2 Commissioner Jeff Rader will walk-on a Resolution, Tuesday, February 1, 2022, at the DeKalb County Committee of the Whole meeting in support of the Georgia General Assembly’s Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office’s (LCRO) recently approved district maps.
“My intent in advancing this resolution is to confirm the maps previously approved unanimously by the BOC and perfected by the LCRO,” said Commissioner Rader. “The DeKalb Delegation to the General Assembly is ultimately responsible for a final map adopted through local legislation, and these maps make few changes from the current districts, primarily unifying cities within Districts. Changing the structure to eliminate Super Districts carries unforeseen consequences better considered through Charter Review.”
Rader’s support comes following confusion that erupted over recent efforts to eliminate DeKalb County’s super districts and redraw boundaries across the county to develop seven districts with no at-large commission districts.
Every ten years, district lines are reapportioned based upon data gleaned from the United States Census. This past October, DeKalb County received refined 2020 Census data and enlisted their Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Law Department to redraw district lines using the updated ERSI Redistricting Software Platform.
District lines were drawn with the least possible deviation using new population totals and following the recommendation of GIS and the Law Department, the newly proposed maps were unanimously approved by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and submitted to the Georgia General Assembly for review and consideration.
Following the receipt of those maps, revisions were submitted to address potential voting issues.
According to written remarks by the Georgia General Assembly’s LCRO, a technical review of both the submitted DeKalb Commission District Plan and the DeKalb Commission Super District Plan, in compliance with the O.C.G.A. Title 28-1-14.1, was conducted and maps were corrected to avoid splits in voting precincts that could create a voter anonymity issue— where there are as low as 10 people.
In addition, precinct splits that would require the county to create a ballot combo were corrected.
There were approximately 13 precincts split between districts and places where the geography jumped back and forth between sides of the road. There were some areas where the district boundary seemed to intend to follow the city limit or precinct line and came off of that feature for a single census block or two.
The findings for the maps regarding the super districts were similar and necessary corrections were also made with the intent is to correspond to what the county sent with the goal to make the map easier to implement for the county elections officials.
To view the LCRO approved maps, please click here. The Georgia General Assembly has the ultimate authority to pass legislation creating new district boundaries.
“I support the LCRO approved maps, and I am not opposed to redrawing district lines,” said Commissioner Cochran-Johnson. “I expect the people of DeKalb to speak to their desires as it relates to super districts and their utility. Personally, I feel it is good to have two Commissioners residents can contact regarding county related issues. It creates dialogue and sometimes a new and/or different perspective. My only concern is the ability to engage the people of DeKalb on an alternative district plan when no formal maps eliminating super districts have been presented at this time.”
For media coverage or to schedule an interview with Commissioners Jeff Rader or Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, email amslocum@dekalbcountyga.gov or call 470-889-4213.
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