Judge Todd Russell has agreed to amend his order setting the new congressional and legislative redistricting maps to clarify who can call themselves an incumbent or use the term "re-elect" in next year's elections.
State law prohibits candidates from calling themselves incumbents or using the term "re-elect" unless they are running in the same district they were elected to in the last election cycle. Because of the new district lines set in the court-developed maps, a number of incumbent members of the Legislature are in new or different numbered districts.
The amendment requested by Legislative Counsel Brenda Erdoes will allow them to describe themselves as incumbents seeking re-election.
Carson City Clerk/Recorder Alan Glover, one of three special masters appointed by Russell to actually draw the maps, said that language is normally included in the legislation mapping out legislative and congressional districts. He said it was discussed with Erdoes during the process of developing the new maps.
"It just didn't get into the order," he said. "There's no bill so it has to be put in the order."