Citizens Project volunteer asks El Paso County to explain redistricting and flags state bill

At the Feb. 3 meeting of the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, volunteer Chris Matini of Citizens Project used the public-comment period to request greater transparency around the county’s redistricting process and to raise concerns about a state bill he referenced during his remarks.

Matini said the bill (spoken in the meeting as "h b 26 10 38") would eliminate the board’s option to conduct redistricting itself and would require oversight that changes how the county can proceed. “This bill ... which would eliminate your board's ability to conduct redistricting yourselves with oversight,” Matini said, and he asked the board to describe why the county’s prior process had been praised by the attorney general and to explain how the process would have differed under the proposed law.

Matini offered volunteer help and asked the board to provide time at a meeting or a written document detailing the county’s redistricting process so citizens can learn how maps were prepared and reviewed. He noted Citizens Project is a local nonpartisan nonprofit that focuses on voter education and inclusion.

The chair told Matini staff would follow up and that government-affairs staff can provide relevant statutory language and background on the county’s prior process.

The board did not take action on redistricting at this meeting; the chair asked Matini to follow up by email so staff could provide documents and links.