The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a redistricting map Tuesday by a 4-1 vote. The map left the current supervisorial districts mostly unchanged, including the 3rd District, which includes Malibu. City officials had worried that an alternate map, which would have divided Malibu from neighboring cities and placed it in a district with South Bay cities, would be chosen.
Latino activists, backed by Supervisor Gloria Molina, had pressed for the political map to be redrawn to assure a second Latino seat on the board of supervisors. Tuesday’s vote has been viewed as beneficial for white incumbents Don Knabe and Michael D. Antonovich by keeping the number of minority voters in their districts relatively the same. It could pave the way for lawsuits by Latino advocacy organizations to challenge the new districts under the federal Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting power.