City to host redistricting hearing Dec. 1

LAWTON – Lawton residents will get a chance to weigh in on the city’s new ward map before the Lawton Redistricting Commission decides whether to approve it.

The commission, which is charged with adjusting the city’s voting wards to reflect population shifts, will host a public hearing on the new map at 2 p.m. Dec. 1 in the Lawton City Hall Auditorium. The hearing will kick off a 10-day waiting period before the commission can vote on approving the new map, which will require at least five affirmative votes to pass.

The city’s redistricting guidelines say each ward must have roughly the same number of people, with a deviation of no more than 10% between the smallest and largest wards. A difference higher than 10% is permissible if it achieves a legitimate goal, such as making sure precincts are not split between wards.

In addition to having roughly the same number of people, the wards should reflect communities with common interests and ethnic backgrounds as much as possible.

Earlier this month, the redistricting commission voted 4-3 to endorse a new map which made the fewest changes to the current wards. That map included a deviation of 9.18% between the smallest and largest wards, which was allowable under the commission’s guidelines.

That map included two precinct splits, in addition to two splits that could not be avoided.

Another proposed map, which did not attract enough votes to pass, had a spread of 4.02% -- the smallest deviation of the three maps under consideration. That map included one precinct split as well as two that could not be avoided.