Smith County elections administrator outlines precinct redraw and renumbering plan; no vote today

Michelle Alcon, Smith County elections administrator, presented a multi-part plan on April 15, 2025, to redraw, merge and renumber the county's election precincts and to reduce the number of precincts and certain polling locations. Alcon told the Commissioner's Court she was "asking you to hear what I'm proposing" and that "there is no motion to accept any changes or not accept any changes today." She said she would return in two weeks with a formal request for the court to vote on the changes.

The changes are proposed under provisions of the Texas Election Code. Alcon said Texas Election Code sections 42.002, 42.005, 42.006 and 42.007 set the timing and technical requirements for precinct review, and that any changes the court approves must be voted on before May 1 of an odd-numbered year and would take effect Jan. 1 of the following even-numbered year (Jan. 1, 2026 for the changes discussed).

Alcon described the primary constraints used to redraw lines: precincts must not cross the county's "Big 6" major districts (federal and state legislative…