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Commissioners vote to split Precinct 211 after voter count exceeds state limit
Summary
Elections staff reported Precinct 211 had 5,572 active registered voters, exceeding the 5,000 limit for this county class; the court authorized beginning the split (creating precinct 211 and 212) and asked the county's redistricting vendor to model the division before returning with final maps.
Elections staff told the Midland County commissioners on April 15 that Precinct 211 had 5,572 active registered voters, exceeding the maximum of 5,000 required by the Texas Election Code for counties this size.
"As of last night, Precinct 211 has 5,572 registered voters," the elections staff member said, presenting maps and noting an obvious split along Fairgrounds Road. The staff recommended splitting the precinct to comply with section 42.031 and related provisions of chapter 42 of the Texas Election Code.
Commissioners discussed options, including creating a new precinct labeled 212 or 211‑A and whether to attach portions of the area to nearby precincts. Elections staff said more detailed modeling would be performed by the vendor Bickerstaff, which previously helped with redistricting and can estimate registered-voter counts in each proposed section.
"We could absolutely do that," a commissioner said when asked about creating a Precinct 212, and another moved to begin the split process "to comply with state law to be determined the name and how we split it." The motion passed on a voice vote.
The split will be modeled using the county's redistricting consultant and return to the court with recommended boundaries; staff noted the split would take effect Jan. 1, 2026, unless the court wishes an earlier effective date.
Ending
The court authorized staff to proceed with modeling the split and to bring a recommended plan back to the commission for final approval.
