What to know about Nassau County's new legislative map

Two lawsuits that alleged Nassau County's 19-district legislative map violated federal and state voting laws settled with a court approval of a new map to replace one adopted in February 2023.

The new map will be used in this year's county elections through 2032, and certain communities could see a shift in their ability to elect leaders to represent them in county government. 

Here are four things to know about the new map and the court agreement enacted this week on the redistricting lawsuits.

The 2023 map is still in effect 

Your current county legislator still represents you until newly elected legislators take office in January 2026. This November, Nassau voters will go to the polls in all 19 legislative races.

Nassau legislators serve two-year terms and there are no term limits. Other countywide offices, including that of the county executive, district attorney, county comptroller and county clerk will also be on the ballot.

The new map goes into effect for the county's June 24 primaries. Candidates running in their party's primary can begin gathering signatures Feb. 25 to be filed with the county Board of Elections by April 3. The new map will be in use for the Nov. 4 general election and be in place for county elections through 2032. 

More majority-minority districts 

The new map includes six majority-minority districts and one Asian-influence district. Under the new map, districts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 14 are composed of more than 50% underrepresented voting groups. District 9, located in the greater New Hyde Park area on the Queens border, is made up of nearly 30% Asian American voters. Nassau has never elected a legislator of Asian decent, despite the growing population and influence of that demographic in the county.

Shifts in representation 

The new map makes the most significant changes to districts now represented by Legis. Seth Koslow (D-Merrick), Legis. C. William Gaylor III (R-Lynbrook), Legis. Carrié Solages (D-Valley Stream) and Legis. John Ferretti (R-Levittown). 

Voters in Lakeview, West Hempstead and Malverne, previously in District 14 represented by Gaylor, will moved to Solages' District 3, which now also includes Bellerose Terrace and a small portion of Franklin Square. Ferretti's District 15 now includes North Wantagh, Seaford and most of Wantagh. It no longer includes Plainedge, a portion of North Massapequa, South Farmingdale, Farmingdale and part of Bethpage. 

In the settlement is a new District 5 spanning southern Uniondale, the central Village of Hempstead, most of West Hempstead and the southern section of Franklin Square. It changes District 14 to include more of Valley Stream instead of East Rockaway and a section of Oceanside.

Redistricting outcome first under new state law 

The settlement in Nassau is the first to come to a resolution under the state's new Voting Rights Act. It ends the legal fight waged in July 2023 by Nassau's Democratic Committee and 20 voters who sued the county administration and Republican-controlled Legislature alleging the 2023 redistricting map violated the state's Voting Rights Act and Municipal Home Rule Law.
The map packed Democratic-leaning voters into two districts and watered down their voting strength by dividing their communities into several other districts, they said.

A second lawsuit was filed in February 2024 by New York Communities for Change and alleged racially polarized voting occurred in Nassau and that the redistricting process aimed to "dilute the voting strength of Black, Latino and Asian communities," with boundaries drawn "with the intent to favor Republicans," according to court filings. 

By Candice Ferrette

candice.ferrette@newsday.comcandiceferrette

Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.