Nassau residents and legislators argued about how to redraw the county's district maps during a heated public hearing in Mineola on Thursday.
The goal is to create a nonpartisan map that benefits all Nassau County residents in over a dozen legislative districts.
The Nassau County Republican majority proposed a new redistricting map during the hearing.
"I think it's a fair and equitable map," said majority leader Richard Nicholello. "I think it allows for equal representation."
Democrats, including minority leader, Kevan Abrahams, says the map is illegal.
"This map still violates many of the federal and state laws, but then, most importantly, the biggest criterion for any particular map is that it's part of gerrymandering," Abrahams said.
In 2022, the Temporary Districting Advisory Commission held 12 public meetings to ensure residents across Nassau County had the opportunity to participate.
The maps were scrapped because the commission was not able to agree on a map.
Members of the Democratic delegation of the commission said the Republicans' proposed map was politically driven and that it didn't accurately represent Nassau County's population and demographics.
Republicans said their proposed map was legal and the lines were drawn with equal population, demographics and legal standards.
Some residents, once again, about the newly proposed map.
"I am not a lawyer, but they are gerrymandered to deny our growing diverse population and presentations," says Casey Marlow, of Farmingdale.
There is another public hearing on the topic set for Feb. 27.