Redistricting at the County Level

Why redistricting matters

The boundaries that are drawn this year based on the 2020 Census will last a decade, and where they are drawn makes a huge difference. These lines can determine whether a community has opportunities to vote together to elect candidates who represent their interests or whether the communities are divided up in ways that will dilute their influence and their collective voice. Once lines are drawn, challenging the decisions in court, after the fact, is a slow and expensive process. Although the League of Women Voters does not shy away from filing lawsuits to protect our rights and enforce our democracy, it is better to engage people and communities during the process so they can help make sure it is fair. 

The process of drawing lines is full of challenges because it is complicated and highly technical. With hundreds of political jurisdictions set to be redrawn, from state senate and house districts to local districts for city school boards and county quorum courts, we need to be ready to play an active role in the process.  The delays in the 2020 Census meant that we have had to wait months longer than planned to get the data needed to draw the new maps. This has made the process even more challenging and increased the pressure to draw lines quickly, which potentially cuts corners when it comes to transparency, public education, and opportunities for public input. While the state has a few public sessions to allow citizens to see the population data, Washington County has not yet. 

Government at the county level

The Quorum Court of Washington County is the legislative body of the county government. It is composed of 15 members called Justices of the Peace (JP). Each JP is elected every two years and represents a district of roughly equal populations. The Election Commission in Washington County is responsible for coordinating and administering federal, state, and local elections in Washington County. It is a four member body composed of three elected members who are volunteers, plus a paid Executive Director. Arkansas law states that two of the elected members come from the county committee of the majority political party with the one remaining member elected by the minority party. Currently, the Republican Party is the majority party in Arkansas and has two members on the Commission, while the Democratic Party has one.

How the lines are drawn

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC), which was formed in 1966 through a cooperative agreement between Benton County, Washington County, and the cities of Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, and Springdale, is planning to initially draw the lines for the counties. The NWARPC is comprised of representatives from all counties and cities in Northwest Arkansas. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies combining computer hardware, software and geographic data, they develop data, which they use to map, manage and analyze geographical information.

Below is a map of the current Quorum Court districts for Washington County. Click on the map for a .pdf version that you can zoom in on.

Here is a comparison of population data from 2010 to 2020 for the Quorum Court districts. The 2021 target population for each district is 15,572 people, but as you can see, growth did not occur equally among districts in the past ten years, so lines will need to be redrawn to keep the populations that JPs represent roughly equal.

To stay informed and ensure your voice is heard during the redistricting process, keep an eye on the county’s Quorum Court meetings, sign up for our mailing list, and follow us on social media @lwvwc.