U.S. Department of Justice approves Dougherty County voting districts.
/ Jessica Fairley
ALBANY, GA. --
The U.S. Department of Justice has granted approval for Dougherty County's newly-drawn political voting districts.
The sections mapped out will represent the county for the next 10 years.
Last year a team of six people comprised of three from the Dougherty County Commission and three from the Dougherty County School Board got together to come up with what they thought was best for each district.
Public input was also taken into consideration.
After receiving approval from the commission and school board, the new map was then presented to the Georgia General Assembly.
“Well first of all it went to the state, the legislatures, the senate and the house passed it with the governor's signatures. Then it went to Washington for pre-clearance and we have it back I’m told and this is good news,” said Dougherty County School Board Chairman James Bush.
The Department of Justice had to pre-clear the redistricting maps as a part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This is to make sure each district is represented equally.
Bush says this is the first time in years that voting districts have been approved without controversy.
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