21. Most Republicans acknowledge that the use of sampling to draw districts would hurt them politically. 22. Other state legislatures, fed up with the same shenanigans, have found better, fairer methods for drawing political districts than leaving it to the politicians. 23. Opponents of sampling say that only an actual count of the population should be used to draw electoral districts and distribute federal aid. 24. Republican strategists say privately that counting those who were missed would help Democrats when legislative districts are drawn. 25. So are regional factors and party affiliation, which have long been taken into account in drawing districts to get a fair distribution in legislative bodies. 26. So outrageous were the districts drawn by the Legislative Redistricting Board that it may have put Attorney General John Cornyn in an impossible situation. 27. The criteria for drawing districts is fairly specific, Cornyn noted, although there is some room for subjectivity. 28. The district was drawn up to be a Republican stronghold, and even Holt concedes that he has an uphill fight. 29. The court criticized the Justice Department for pressing states to use every possible means to draw voting districts so that minorities have the largest possible representation. 30. The figures will be used to decide everything from how federal money is distributed to how political districts are drawn. |