A federal judge has given Supervisors and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund until tomorrow to set the boundaries for new voting districts. MALDEF won a lawsuit against the county last month after they argued the old lines disenfranchised Latinos, and County Counsel Mark Nations says they had to work on a new map behind closed doors as part of that deal. The judge will draw the districts himself if the two sides cannot agree. Nations tells KGET-TV that the first vote on the boundaries will take place in closed session. Nations says they’re close to a deal for the November election that would include a second majority-Latino district. Kern County was ordered to redraw voting districts after MALDEF sued.

Kelli Pierce