Deadline approaches for city and county re-districting

The re-districting plan for Iowa’s congressional offices was completed in June, but county and local plans are still in the works.Secretary of State Chet Culver says some cities and all of Iowa’s 99 counties must complete re-districting plans based on the 2000 Census. Cities with more than one precinct and populations of more than 35-hundred must complete the plans. Culver says many of the rules used for congressional re-districting apply at the local level as well. Iowa lawmakers rejected the first plan for congressional re-districting over what they say were concerns about the political makeup of the districts. Culver says politics are involved at the local level too.He says it’s possible some of the local plans could be challenged in court, but he hopes the process goes smoothly.Cities must have their plans to his office by September 1st and counties by October 15th. Culver believes most cities will hit the deadline.