In accomplishing the apportionment, the committee shall follow such constitutional standards as may apply at the time of the apportionment and shall observe the following guidelines unless such guidelines are inconsistent with constitutional standards at the time of the apportionment, in which event the constitutional standards shall control:(a) Every district shall be compact and composed of contiguous territory and the boundary shall cross governmental or political boundaries the least number of times possible; and(b) Districts shall be structured, as far as possible and within constitutional standards, along county lines; if county lines are fractured, then election district lines shall be followed as nearly as possible.Laws, 1977, 2d Ex Sess, § 3; Laws, 1981, ch. 304, § 1, eff. 2/2/1981.
Mississippi Legal Code