By JEN BAIRES/Oregon Public Broadcasting

In one of the fastest-growing regions in the state, the question of how to divvy up local political representation for a geographically and politically diverse population is playing out over a proposed Deschutes County district map.

On Wednesday, Deschutes County Commissioners approved putting a much-disputed political map before voters in the November election.

The decision comes after voters expanded the number of seats on the commission from three to five during the last general election. The map, if voter-approved, would eventually transition all the commission seats from being at-large positions to representing specific geographic areas.

Opponents of the boundary lines headed to the ballot say they will unfairly favor conservative candidates in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans and unaffiliated voters dominate.

Wednesday’s vote took place in a room packed with people who spoke against the map, many holding up signs reading, “No Rigged Maps,” and “Fight Rigged Districts!”

Commissioner Phil Chang, the lone dissenter and lone Democrat on the commission, expressed similar concerns.

“This package is gerrymandered,” he said, accusing the committee that drafted the map of cramming “tens of thousands of Democratic voters into two districts in order to provide a disproportionate advantage to the other party.”

The map breaks up the county by creating two districts in Bend, and one each around Sisters, Redmond and La Pine. Bend alone accounts for about half of Deschutes County’s population, and is politically blue, unlike the other cities and towns. If voter-approved in November, the changes could take effect in the 2028 election.

Commissioners Tony DeBone and Patti Adair voted in favor of the map. They each pointed out that district lines could be revised following the 2030 census — a job that would fall to a newly expanded county board. The two new commissioner positions up for election this year will be elected at-large for two-year terms.