Residents will have a final opportunity to address the El Paso County Redistricting Commission, tasked with redrawing commissioner districts for the first time since 2017, and offer input on proposed maps this week.

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The commission has convened for nine meetings in just under three months to create, analyze and rework dozens of maps based on public feedback on “communities of interest,” like a consolidated southeast Colorado Springs in one district or military installations, required for consideration under Colorado law.

As of Friday, the commission has left six maps in consideration before designating map finalists at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Centennial Hall in downtown Colorado Springs.

While July 24 was the last day for residents to submit their own public comments and map suggestions to the county’s online redistricting portal, commissioners on Friday directed county staff to incorporate time for public comment in person on existing maps as well as on any further tweaks to maps made on Tuesday.

The commission is expected to adopt the final district map on Aug. 15.

“It would be viable for us to hear that public support or opposition to those last-minute changes, versus us going to the last meeting (on Aug. 15), which could potentially go straight to voting,” Commissioner Longinos Gonzalez said Friday.

The redistricting commission consists of the five members of the El Paso County Board of Commissioners. All Republicans, the commissioners appointed themselves to oversee the process without a citizen advisory committee at a controversial meeting on April 18, during which dozens of residents voiced concern over disenfranchised Democratic voters and accused the board of gerrymandering, given that a Democrat has not served on the board since Stan Johnson’s election in 1970.

Since then, commissioners said they have blocked from consideration any previous or future proposed maps that did not keep 30 racial minority-majority precincts in southeast Colorado Springs, as defined by residents, together – a step toward crystalizing the area as a voting bloc in future elections.

Click or tap here to view the current maps under consideration.

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