Judge: Redistricted Map Can't be Used in 2011

A New York State Supreme Court judge has declared that the redistricted map set forth by Nassau Republicans cannot be used this election year because it does not comply with two parts of the county charter.

Justice Steve Jaeger said that there is a three-step process to adopting a new map for elections, the first of which is through the legislature within six months receipt of census data.

“However, implementation of Local Law 3-2011, in reconfiguring the 19 legislative districts for use in the 2011 general election, is null and void for lack of compliance with §§113 and 114 of the Nassau County Charter,” Jaeger wrote in a decision dated July 21. “The earliest election for which the new legislative district lines based on the 2010 Census data should be in effect is for the 2013 general election, not the 2011 general election.”

The second step in the redistricting process is appointing a non-partisan commission to review the map and the last is to adopt a final map eight months before the election.

The redistricting of the county’s legislative districts has been a political tug of war for months, with Democrats angry over a process that they say they took years to do when they were in power. Republicans, led by President Officer Peter Schmitt, R-Massapequa, argued that a new map had to be passed with haste because of population deviations within the districts.

“We are pleased that the new district lines and process have been validated by the court, but will appeal that part of the decision which delays its implementation," Schmitt said.

Editor's note: This story was updated on Friday with a quote from Schmitt.