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Committee adopts amendment shifting municipal ward apportionment to county election boards
Summary
Senators adopted an amendment to SB 452 that would have county boards of election commissioners draw municipal ward lines (instead of city councils) and delayed the effective date to Jan. 1, 2022, to avoid affecting the 2022 elections; the bill passed as amended.
The committee adopted an amendment to S.B. 452 that moves the responsibility for drawing municipal ward apportionment from city councils to county boards of election commissioners, aligning municipal practice with other apportionment authorities (legislature for legislative districts; county election boards for JP districts). Senator Johnson said the change aims to reduce split precincts and the number of ballot styles in counties.
Senators discussed timing concerns given uncertainty in federal decennial census data and the amendment moved the effective date to Jan. 1, 2022 so the change would not affect the 2022 election. The amendment was adopted by voice vote and the committee passed SB 452 as amended.
