Arkansas redistricting maps receive final approval

July 31, 2011

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas: House and Senate redistricting maps proposed by Governor Mike Beebe passed a final vote of approval by the state Board of Apportionment on July 29, 2011. The panel; composed by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Governor Mike Beebe, and Secretary of State Mark Martin, is responsible for redrawing legislative districts every 10 years with the goal of equalizing population as much as possible. In Arkansas, each House district would ideally contain 29,159 people while each Senate district contains 93,312.

The board passed the redistricting maps with a final vote of 2-1. Attorney General McDaniel and Governor Beebe voted to adopt the maps while Secretary of State Martin voted against them, criticizing them for reducing the number of black-majority House districts in the state from 13 to 11.

See also

• Redistricting in Arkansas