Warren County plans for redrawn supervisor and justice court district lines are on the way to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Unanimously approved by the five county supervisors Monday is a proposal that expands District 2 north to Culkin Road and south along Mississippi 27 to Stenson Road, except for a strip of U.S. 80 between the city limits and Buck Drive. District 3 gains in three spots, along U.S. 61 South beyond city limits to Grange Hall Road, a piece south of East Clay Street between Old Highway 27 and Mississippi 27 and a piece east of Halls Ferry Road anchored by Lake Hill Drive.

For justice court, the board’s choice expands the central district to gain areas between Culkin Road and Interstate 20, Old 27 and Mississippi 27 and northwest to pick up Chickasaw, Kings and Ford subdivisions from the northern district.

The federal Cabinet department mandates no more than a 10 percent difference between the most and least populous county-level district to ensure minority voting strength is not diluted. Plans to be considered by the feds show a 6.99 percent variance for supervisor, less than an 8.7 percent gap in a similarly-drawn alternative, and a 1.85 percent variance for justice court, less than a 4 percent variance.

A decision by DOJ is expected within 60 days. Redistricting the county’s political districts — five for supervisor and three for justice court — was necessary after 2010 census data showed Vicksburg had lost 9.7 percent of its population since 2000, which affected Districts 2 and 3 most acutely.

If approved, the new district lines would be used for the 2015 election cycle.

Suits brought against Warren and nine other counties by various local NAACP chapters that sought to delay qualifying was dismissed from federal court in May.

Redistricting in the state Legislature was delayed until 2012 following a breakdown in the process by joint committees in each chamber and a three-judge panel of federal judges ruled current district lines must hold this year.

Vicksburg’s population was 23,856 in the count released Feb. 3. The countywide total was 48,773, down 1.75 percent from the 2000 count. District 1, which covers the northeastern part of the county, remains the most populous in the proposed new plan, with 10,169 people.