The Dallas County Temporary Redistricting Commission will be hosting a public hearing in regards to the increase of supervisors from three to five.

According to Supervisor Julia Helm, the process of moving from three to five members was voted on by residents during the November 2024 election. She shares that when the ballot was passed, a temporary redistricting commission was put together. Helm explains that the committee took the population of Dallas County, divided it by five, which then made five separate districts. She notes that the supervisor candidates will have to live in one of the five districts derived from the committee. Helm reveals her stance about the overall redistricting plan.

“Iowa is a gold standard for redistricting. We followed Iowa Code chapter 42.4, we followed census locks, we don’t split subdivisions, so that means a township stays together, (or) a city stays together, unless it’s over the population variance. We try to maintain contiguous territory and compact districts.”

Helm confirms that the committee worked on developing interactive maps on Dallas County’s website (click here) where people can type in their zip code and it will inform you of which district you’re in. She says if someone is hoping to run for an open supervisor seat, they can find the information on the Secretary of State’s website. Helm describes that the voting of the five members will occur in the November 2026 election. The public hearing is taking place on Tuesday, July 22nd at 7pm in the first floor training room inside the Dallas County Administration Building, 800 Court Street, in Adel.