CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In what advocates say is a first for the state and a rarity for the nation, Mecklenburg County is asking citizens to submit suggestions for redrawing voting districts.
Specifically, an online tool went up Tuesday on the county's website, giving step-by-step instructions on how anyone can redraw school board and county commission districts by shifting precincts on a map.
The tool, which includes a tutorial, will be up through the first week of June, when submissions are to be reviewed by a redistricting panel. That panel is expected to craft a final plan to be voted on by county commissioners in September.
County officials admit the redistricting tool may be a frustrating puzzle for novices, due to requirements involving populations, races and political affiliations.
But anyone willing to give it a shot could impact elections for a decade, said Brian Francis, assistant to the county manager. There's a great possibility that one person out there will submit the plan ultimately adopted by the board.
This is definitely a level of public involvement that hasn't been seen before in the redistricting process.
The online tool is being introduced at a time of heightened public consternation over recent budget cuts for schools, libraries, and parks and recreation facilities.
Protesters have accused both the library board and school board of racism and favoritism, after inner-city areas felt the brunt of those cuts.
Commissioners have said they want two of the county's six districts to be minority-majority; meaning a minority group makes up a majority of the voters.
The redrawing process is being launched to offset population shifts revealed by the 2010 census. For example, District 2 in west Charlotte was a minority-majority district but now is less than 48 percent black.
The commission has nine members overall, three of them countywide at-large seats.
Francis said the redistricting site attempts to bring a new openness to what typically goes on behind closed doors. For that reason, the League of Women Voters plans to promote the online tool.
Redistricting is very obscure, in the sense that people don't pay much attention to it. They don't realize the consequences, said Mary Klenz, former Charlotte league president and a director on the league's national board.
The outcome of the way districts are put together has a tremendous impact on the election process. ... We have to do a better job of educating the public and this is an opportunity to do that.
The tool was Francis' idea, and was designed by the county's information services unit.
He said he's not familiar with it being offered by other counties or cities.
Michael Crowell of UNC Chapel Hill's School of Government agrees that it's a level of public access that is new for North Carolina.
But he said there have been variations offered by state governments here and elsewhere. North Carolina has allowed the public to come in and use state computers in Raleigh to offer suggestions for redrawing state districts, he said.
He's also heard of states like Virginia hosting competitions to let the public redraw districts, with the winning submission getting money.
I'm not aware of any local governments in North Carolina offering this, said Crowell, noting most don't have the necessary software.
It will be interesting to see how many plans are submitted on the Mecklenburg system and how many are useful.
