Federal Judge Approves New Voting Districts in Irving

A new system for conducting Irving City Council elections has been approved by a U.S. district judge. To ensure elections accurately reflect Irving’s growth and demographics, the city’s voting districts and at-large voting system have changed and will affect the way residents vote when they go to the polls for early voting on April 26 for the May 8 election.

Irving’s at-large voting system, which is open for residents to vote for all candidates, has been divided into six single-member voting districts. Only residents living within a specified district’s boundaries will be able to vote for candidates who run for a seat in his/her respective district. Single-member districts include Places 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Two city council seats, Places 2 and 8, as well as the mayor’s seat, will remain at-large, meaning any Irving resident may vote for the position.

The changes follow an ongoing exchange between city leaders and federal court. City representatives have been in communication and full cooperation with the federal court to ensure that the district redesign is in compliance with the Voting Rights Act.