HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT REDISTRICTING TALKING POINTS

Harris County has proposed a redistricting map for its four Commissioners Court Precincts.

The map does not adequately represent the population changes of Harris County.
In the last 10 years, Harris County has grown from just over 3.4 million to approximately 4.1 million residents today. That is an overall growth of over 691,000 people. In the last 10 years, the Latino population in Harris County has grown from just over 1.1 million (33%) to approximately 1.7 million (40%) residents today. That is an overall growth of over 551,000 people. With a growth of over 551,000 people, Latino population growth represents 80% of the overall population growth in Harris County. Harris Countys proposed map, if accepted, will eliminate the only effective Latino opportunity precinct (Precinct 2) on the Commissioners Court. In the proposed new Precinct 2, although the Anglo Voting Age Population (VAP) is 35.7% and the Latino VAP is 52.5%, these numbers are misleading (Phantom District). The Latino population does not have reasonable opportunity to elect a commissioner of their choice. In the proposed new Precinct 2, Anglos are 50% of the Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) and Latinos are 38% of the CVAP. Given the CVAP numbers in Precinct 2, the Latino population has less opportunity than other residents of Houston to participate in the political process or to elect a Commissioner of their choice. The proposed map is retrogressive and has the effect of discriminating against Latino voters and therefore, as it is proposed, clearly violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The new map combines communities in Precinct 2 that do not share the same interests, e.g. Kingwood and Houstons East End are two very different communities. The Latino community in Harris County has consistently voted as a unit, a cohesive voting bloc. By limiting the Latino population in Precinct 2 to large numbers of non-citizens and/or non-voting age persons, the proposed map has the purpose and effect of diluting the overall voting strength of Latinos in Harris County. Harris County has in the past, and can today, draw a map that is not injurious to Latino voters Harris Countys systematic effort to impair the growth of voter registration only adds to the injustice caused by this map. Given these numbers, we the organizations, businesses, and citizens in our coalition, urge that the proposed map be rejected and that Precinct 2 is returned to at least its former status as a Latino opportunity precinct to ensure that the Latino population of Harris County has an opportunity to elect a Commissioner of their choice.

HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT REDISTRICTING TALKING POINTS