Recent media reports indicate that advocacy groups found over two thousands voters who were assigned to the wrong state House, Senate or congressional districts. This information was gleaned from a “spot analysis” of six counties including: Wake, Durham, Wayne, Wilson, Robeson and Richmond. According to these reports, over two hundred of these voters received the wrong ballots on Election Day. Advocacy groups contend that black voters are much more likely than white voters to live in split precincts, which is the root of the issue.

One of the more impacted areas was the former NC Senate District 7 (Franklin, Granville, Vance, and Warren), which was carved up sending Franklin county as well as portions of Wake county into the newly formed NC Senate District 18.  This forced 4-term senator, Doug Berger, into a new district where he is unknown to many of the Wake county voters.

Senate districts were redrawn by the Republican majority during the last legislative session. To accomplish this, Thomas Hofeller who lists his present occupation as, “Redistricting Consultant at Republican National Committee,” was employed. According to Senator Rucho, who served as the Chairman of the North Carolina Senate Redistricting Committee, Hofeller was employed to provide “the technical expertise.” Hofeller also lists years of work at the United States Department of Agriculture, which has its own checkered past regarding race relations.

Via EPR Network
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