By Glenn Rolfe

GEORGETOWN — Geographically speaking, some of Sussex County’s coastal councilmanic districts should shrink, while others grow.

The decennial U.S. census-based process of redrawing district boundaries is underway in Sussex County, with hopes that new maps for the five districts — with possible input from groups like the League of Women Voters and area residents — will be finalized by early next year, in time for the 2022 election.

“This year, our redistricting process is taking place later than normal. This was due to the delay in receiving the raw census data,” said County Attorney J. Everett Moore Jr. “That information has been received and downloaded.”

Mr. Moore, who will lead the redistricting procedures, outlined the process during County Council’s Tuesday meeting.

By law, following each 10-year census, the county must adjust its maps through a redistricting method designed to equally distribute the population among the five councilmanic districts.

Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 data for Delaware, Sussex County’s population increased more than 20% between 2010 and 2020, from 197,145 residents to 237,378 residents.

Thus, each of the newly drawn council districts would require an average of 47,475 residents. There is some leeway: Each district must be within 5% plus or minus of that average, ranging from no fewer than 45,101 residents to no more than 49,849 residents.

“As you can imagine, most growth has occurred in our resort areas. Consequently, the coastal areas will tend to shrink in geography and the others grow,” Mr. Moore said.

Redistricting incorporates several factors, including keeping together communities of interest, historical trends and state polling place locations. New County Council district maps will be drawn in accordance with all federal and state requirements, officials said.

“We will also work closely with the board of elections to make sure our lines are consistent with locations of polling places,” said Mr. Moore. “Also, since we now have the benefit of the state Senate and House maps, we also can look at those lines and incorporate those as much as possible.”

Also taken into consideration are major roads, landmarks, streams and rivers, he said.
As was the case a decade ago, county government invites the public to weigh in on how maps should be drawn.

“In the past, the maps were drawn, an ordinance was drafted, and maps shown for the first time in public session. Ten years (ago), we allowed written comments to be offered prior to the drafting of the maps. That was very helpful in the process,” Mr. Moore said. “We are using the same procedure this year.”

The public can submit map ideas by email to redistricting@sussexcountyde.gov or by standard mail to the Clerk of the Sussex County Council, P.O. Box 589, Georgetown, DE 19947.

Written and email correspondence will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. Dec. 1.

Mr. Moore noted that the county has already received a copy of a proposed map from the League of Women Voters of Delaware.

The hope, said Jack Young, co-chair of the redistricting committee of LWV, is that individuals and groups can get a head start on the redistricting process through open discussion.

“We will begin the participation process now, without waiting for the public hearings or other things from the council. Let the districting process start with citizen input,” said Mr. Young, who also is co-chair of the Fair Maps Coalition. “That is the hope of the League of Women Voters, (that) by publishing its first-draft redistricting map, we can hopefully begin the discussion now, as opposed to what happened in the General Assembly, which was constrained by the lack of early census data.”

County Council President Michael H. Vincent said redistricting is the public’s opportunity to have a voice in who represents them, just as elections are.

“This is an essential part of building the government that represents you, your neighbors and the communities that make up Sussex County,” Councilman Vincent said. “This is, quite literally, shaping our community’s future, at least for the next 10 years, so I encourage residents to get involved.”

Once the redistricting proposal is complete, copies of the draft plan and the proposed maps will be available for review here. A map of the current council districts also can be viewed on the county’s website.

The proposal will be subject to a public hearing this winter. Notice of that meeting will be advertised in advance.

Despite the data delay from the census, county officials expect their process to be complete by early 2022, in time for County Council candidates to meet residency requirements and file for offices on the ballot next year.

LWV’s proposal

The League of Women Voters encourages community members to submit proposed maps to County Council.

In drafting maps, LWV strongly recommends that:

• Each district consists of contiguous territory.
• Each district is close to equal in population.
• Major roads, waterways, natural boundaries and municipal boundaries are considered.
• The districts are not drawn to unduly favor any person or political party.
• Communities of interest have been included in a single district and are not divided. A community of interest is any group of people who share common social, cultural, racial, ethnic and economic interests common to the population of that area.

LWV’s draft map proposal is expected to be accessible this week on the group’s Sussex County website.

“We are hoping for Sussex County that citizens will have an opportunity to let their ideas percolate up now,” said Mr. Young.