Redistricting in Texas has been a headline item for months now.
Right now, politicians across the state are looking at some new maps to decide what their next moves will be.
At the same time, the maps are also affecting voters.
It's been a long battle downstate to redraw district lines in Texas. It was just Tuesday, when a three-judge panel drafted new redistricting maps for the election year.
"For Amarillo residents we don't have that much of a concern, they may jigger a little bit with the house districts. But I think Amarillo, Potter and Randall are pretty well set," said Doctor Dave Rausch, WTAMU Political Science Professor.
But it is affecting voters in a big way. The dispute has caused our primary date to move several times, taking us out of next Super Tuesday.
The new election date is May 29th.
Election experts say, by then, our votes will do little to help decide the GOP Presidential Candidate.
"Many people around here and all of Texas feel they're not quite getting to have their say," said Lou Ann Garrett, League of Women Voters.
But you're still encouraged to vote in the primary, with several important positions to be decided.
"It's still important. There are a number of races where they're replacing people that are retiring or deciding not the run for reelection," said Dr. Rausch.
Dr. Rausch says May 29th also falls on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, so he suspects many people will choose to vote early instead.
Either way, it's been a headache for voters who were more than ready to see the lines drawn in this long and confusing dispute.
But all of this may not be over yet.
Lawyers representing minority groups have asked judges in Washington to make a decision quickly on whether the new maps violate the federal Voting Rights Act.The lawyers say the interim maps issued by a San Antonio court will discriminate against minorities.
