The Ada County Highway District Commission has approved new subdistrict boundaries to more evenly distribute representation across Ada County.

In March, Commissioners approved four preliminary maps to present to the public. Ada County residents ranked the options and provided their opinions of the proposed boundary changes over the last month.

Nearly 200 residents weighed in on the redistricting options, with the vast majority of survey participants in favor of options three and four, which most equally distribute voters within the districts.

On Wednesday, the Commission approved redistricting map option four during the public hearing. Commissioners considered opinions from the public, including results of the public input survey conducted by ACHD staff.

Idaho law requires ACHD, as a single, countywide highway district, to ensure that the subdistricts served by each Commissioner be "as nearly equal in population as practicable" (Idaho Code, Title 40, Chapter 1404A). The law also requires that any change in subdistrict boundaries preserve existing voting precincts.

The 2020 census population indicated that growth in western portions of Ada County created a discrepancy of 20 percent between the largest of the Commission subdistricts, District Four, and the smallest, District Two.

Under the new boundaries, the total deviation between subdistricts is now 0.5 percent. The new boundaries are now in effect ahead of the November 8 election. Residents can see if their district has changed by referring to the map, which has been updated to reflect the new boundaries.