No decision yet on Wake County voting maps
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- No decision was made in a federal hearing Tuesday over voting maps in Wake County.
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"We've got a very tight deadline for ballots to get ready, prepared and go out," said Kim Westbrook Strach, Executive Director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
The hearing at the federal courthouse on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh was called after a recent decision from a federal appeals court judge. In that ruling the judge said state Republicans went too far when they redrew voting maps for both the Wake County Board of Commissioners and the Wake County School Board, leaving some district seats out.
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The judge had ruled the maps were unconstitutional and told state lawmakers and the state board of elections to redraw the maps or he would.
The deadline to redraw the maps came and went and plaintiffs in the case argued that the judge does not have the authority to redraw maps.
Tuesday's hearing ended with no decision made on whether the judge has jurisdiction and the deadline for the board of elections to have ballot information finalized is Aug. 10.
"We've got a September 9 time for when absentee voting starts in the state for the presidential election," said Westbrook Strach, "so we want to make sure we know all the names that are going to be on the ballot so we certainly want an answer as quick as we can."
