Limestone Commission redraws district lines after NAACP objection

Counties must redraw districts every 10 years when new census data is available. The Limestone Commission’s first map with the redrawn district boundaries left District 3 with 17% minority voters, said Jason Black, District 3 commissioner. The Limestone County NAACP requested that the district have at least 20% minority voters.

“We were trying to do the best job we could of representing the people out in the rural areas,” Commission Chairman Collin Daly said after the new map was presented during Monday’s commission meeting. “It wasn’t done intentionally. We just thought it was the best solution.”

Daly said in the redrawn map, “we took Canebrake, the golf course area and put it in District 1 versus District 3. So, we took a predominantly big white neighborhood out and put a predominantly African American neighborhood back in.”

He said he met with NAACP leaders Friday.

“They requested they wanted 20% voting population in District 3 … and we got 21%,” Daly said. “We went a percent above what their request was. We met their request.”

Wilbert Woodruff of Athens, president of the Limestone County NAACP, spoke at the commission meeting and said the 21% puts the minority numbers about where they previously were but is not good enough.

“I would like for this commission to consider … some alternative districts and maybe to add districts and/or go to something like cumulative voting, where the minority, or people of color, or specifically Black community could elect candidates of their choice,” said Woodruff.

With cumulative voting, an individual voter gets as many votes as there are offices and can spread the votes out or give them all to a single candidate. The cumulative system gives a minority group a better chance of concentrating its votes on one candidate.

“I would humbly ask this commission, starting today, to look at avenues where we could create a more fair and better process for our citizens of Limestone County to elect a candidate of their choice,” Woodruff said. “I know you guys are open-minded and I think you want to advance this county to the 21st century,” he said.

According to Daly, the new map must be advertised for two weeks. While the public was allowed to address the commission Monday, Daly doesn’t expect the new redistricting plan will be voted on until the first week of December.

“I’m sure, at the next commission meeting, we’ll have some other concerns, and I hate to say this because I represent everybody, but you’re not going to please everybody all the time. And we’re going to do the best we can. We’re going to do what the law says we have to do,” Daly said.

Limestone County voters in each district elect their commissioner. Only the chairman is elected countywide.

Daly said the new districts must be ready at least 120 days before the next election. Primary elections will be held May 24 in Alabama.