Mohave County Elections Department has hands full with redistricting plan
April 23, 2004
KINGMAN -- Last Friday's ruling by a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge to accept the redistricting plan splitting Mohave County into two legislative districts could cause a major headache for the county's elections office.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fields ruled Friday to finalize the redistricting map as presented by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
The commission took public comments for several months revising the district maps several times before Fields' ruling.
Fields ordered the plan shall be used in the 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 legislative elections.
Fields ruled Jan. 16 that the Commission, which established new legislature and congressional districts in 2002, was in violation of the state Constitution.
The ruling was based on a lawsuit by the Arizona Minority Coalition for Fair Redistricting against the Commission to create state legislative districts that protect minority's rights.
The new districting plan must now be submitted to the federal Department of Justice, who will have 60 days to approve the plan.
Since Fields' ruling, the commission has appealed the decision to the state Court of Appeals.
Mohave County Elections Director Allen Tempert said 10 Mohave County precincts will have to be changed under the new plan. Those precincts were split into two by the new district maps.
The 10 precincts are White Hills, Dolan Springs, Chloride, Zuni, Southwest Kingman, Hualapais, East Kingman, Long Mountain , Hackberry and Peach Springs.
Zuni includes northern Golden Valley and So-Hi Estates. Peach Springs involves a small strip of land but involves no homes.
In the existing district maps, Peach Springs is the only part of the county that is already in another legislative district.
Redrawing the precincts has to be approved by the county Board of Supervisors, and then sent to the voter's registration office to change its records, Tempert said.
Because of the time frame the changes has to be sent to the federal Department of Justice for approval at the same time. Any changes DOJ makes, the elections department would have to go back to redraw the precinct lines.
Only Maricopa County has the money for two data bases for separate changes to the precincts. Changes to the precincts by Tempert's department could take several months.
"It is not financially feasible for us to have separate data bases," Tempert said. "We have to anticipate it will be approved by DOJ. We have to be prepared for the 2004 elections."
In the existing district map, the entire county, except Peach Springs, is in one district. The new map will split Mohave County into two legislature districts.
Kingman, Meadview, Dolan Springs and the Arizona Strip would be part of a District 2 that covers all of Northern Arizona .
Outnumbered Kingman would join Page and the Navajo and Hopi reservation more than 150 miles to the east.
Bullhead City , Mohave Valley , Golden Valley and Lake Havasu City would encompass District 3 along with Flagstaff .
The southern section of Lake Havasu City at one time was part of another district but recent changes in the map included the entire city and the county all the way to the La Paz County line with District 3.
Tempert said those changes saved his department an enormous amount of time. Splitting Lake Havasu City alone would have affected at least seven more precincts.