Miss Jackson.Mississippi’s Supreme Court election map has been ordered to be redone by a federal court who believes it weakens the influence of Black voters.
The 1987-passed map was declared unlawful under the Voting Rights Act by U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock, and it will not be allowed to be used in subsequent elections.
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The American Civil Liberties Union’s Mississippi chapter assisted in the complaint, claiming that the map divided the Delta region of Mississippi, which is a traditionally Black territory, in half.
Ari Savitzky, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU Voting Rights Project, stated, “This victory righted a historic injustice.” Fair district lines that offer Black voters an equal voice and give upcoming generations of Black leaders an equal opportunity to serve on the state’s highest court will benefit all Mississippians.
The complaint claimed that the plan reduced the Black vote in the Central District and was filed on April 25, 2022.
Only four Black individuals have served on the Mississippi Supreme Court, according to Aycock’s decision. Initially chosen by a sitting governor, they all occupied the same seat in the Central District.
Aycock stated in her letter that the Mississippi Legislature will be given a deadline to produce a new map.
The office of the Mississippi Secretary of State stated that it is examining the 105-page order and will think about filing an appeal.
