10 counties to host public comments on redistricting criteria

FILE – In this July 26, 2017, file photo, a lawmaker studies a district map during a joint select committee meeting on redistricting in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

RALEIGH — State legislators are expected to travel across the state next month to hear from the general public on redistricting criteria.

The N.C. House and Senate’s joint committee on redistricting met on Aug. 18 to finalize the process in which the lawmakers will use to draw maps for the General Assembly and the state’s 14 congressional districts for use in the next 10 years.

The proposed county list includes Caldwell, Durham, Forsyth, Jackson, Mecklenburg, Nash, New Hanover, Pasquotank, Pitt and Robeson.

The Census Bureau released the county-level data nationwide on Aug. 12 and will have individual state files delivered in various formats to states by the end of September.

Filing for 2022 primaries is set to open on Dec. 6, meaning legislators will have approximately three months to complete the redistricting process barring any changes.