Ex-UNCC prof weighs in on GOP districting plan

From his days heading the political science department at UNC Charlotte, Ted Arrington has been an authoritative voice on redistricting. Not only has he helped draw the lines for local districts in Mecklenburg County, he served as an expert witness in redistricting cases across the country.

Now retired, he's weighing in on North Carolina's new plan.

Lawyers representing Democrats who are fighting the state's new Republican-drawn plan in court submitted an affidavit from Arrington in which he argues that the plan hurts minority voters.

"The extensive splitting of precincts, which is clearly not necessary to abide by the Constitutional standard of one-person, one-vote, will increase voter confusion and potentially harm voter turnout," he wrote. "Because the splits are concentrated in the Black community, this will be a special problem among Black voters."

Plaintiffs in the lawsuits are trying to overturn the new districts, which favor Republicans.

Arrington is a former Republican-turned-independent.