Emergency petition asks to block Galveston County's new redistricted map

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- There's a new twist in the fight over Galveston County's redistricting map.

The Texas Supreme Court rejected an emergency request to stop the map from moving forward, but the justices did not decide whether the map itself is legal.

The justices said the fight should start in a lower court.

Bernadette Reyes, an attorney with the case, confirmed to ABC13 that a new emergency petition has been filed.

Now, it's a race to get this resolved before election day.

"Essentially what we're asking for is that the general elections take place under the same map that the primary elections took place," Reyes said.

Galveston County Commissioners unanimously approved the new map in question in June. It was a redrawing of commissioner, constable and justice of the peace precincts.

Those against it highlighted changes to the constable and justice of the peace for Precinct 3, as it shifts representation from the southeast to the north.

Some residents previously spoke out and said it could weaken the voting power of minority communities.

The emergency petition was filed earlier this month by Precinct 3 Constable Derek Rose and two county residents.

It argued that the new map denies voters the opportunity to have voted in the primary election for their new precinct, among other things.

"You have people that have voted in a primary for one precinct that either will have to vote for another precinct, which they have not been able to participate in a primary for, or they're in a precinct where there is no election this year, and they don't get to participate in any general election," Reyes said.

The county's response to the petition said, "Texas Constitution expressly authorizes precinct redivision 'from time to time.'" It went on to say, "No statute restricts the authority to redistrict commissioner, justice of the peace or constable precinct boundaries to a particular time period."

Previously, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry told ABC13 the new lines would create a more efficient government structure and "Enhance partisan outcomes."

"It's going to be confusing for the voters," University of Houston Political Science Lecturer Nancy Sims said.

Sims said creating a new map after the primaries was unusual timing.

"The ballots are probably, if they're not printed, they're about to be printed," Sims said. "So the time window here to make a decision is very quick."