Mississippi Redistricting Litigation Update: State Officials File Appeal in Legislative Map Case

Mississippi Redistricting Litigation Update: State Officials File Appeal in Legislative Map Case

By EditorJul 13, 2025
Both the State defendants and the Mississippi Republican Executive Committee filed direct appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court on July 3, 2025, after a federal district court invalidated the State's House and Senate maps on Voting Rights Act grounds. The case is Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP v. State Board of Election Commissioners. The NAACP suit against Mississippi’s 2022 state legislative maps began with a complaint in December 2022 alleging racial gerrymandering and Voting Rights Act violations. A three-judge federal panel denied the State’s motion to dismiss in April 2023, oversaw discovery through that autumn, and held a bench…
Mississippi, Voting Rights Act, ,
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NAACP Withdraws Voting Rights Lawsuit as Fayette County, TN Adopts New District Map

NAACP Withdraws Voting Rights Lawsuit as Fayette County, TN Adopts New District Map

By EditorJul 11, 2025
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) has voluntarily dismissed its voting discrimination lawsuit against Fayette County, Tennessee, following the county commission's unanimous approval of a revised redistricting plan. The lawsuit, filed in February 2025, accused the county of intentionally diluting the voting power of Black residents through its 2021 district map, which included no majority-Black districts despite the county's population being over 25% Black. Faced with lawsuits from both the LDF and the U.S. Department of Justice, Fayette County officials swiftly responded by drafting a new districting plan. This revised map, approved unanimously by commissioners in June 2025, establishes three…
Tennessee, Voting Rights Act, ,
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Eighth Circuit Leaves North Dakota Tribes and Section 2 enforcement, waiting on the Supreme Court

Eighth Circuit Leaves North Dakota Tribes and Section 2 enforcement, waiting on the Supreme Court

By EditorJul 08, 2025
This week, a divided Eighth Circuit has refused to rehear Spirit Lake Tribe v. Howe, leaving intact its May 2025 ruling that bars private plaintiffs from suing under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The order preserves a decision that eliminated a key enforcement pathway for the seven states within the circuit and sets the stage for potential U.S. Supreme Court involvement. The case began when the Spirit Lake Tribe and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians challenged North Dakota’s 2021 legislative map, arguing that splitting their reservations diluted Native voting power. A U.S. District Court Judge…
Case Updates, Voting Rights Act,
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Experts React to the Supreme Court “Punt” on the Louisiana Voting Rights Case

By EditorJun 28, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court made an extraordinary move on June 27, when it declined to resolve Louisiana v. Callais and instead scheduled the case for a second round of briefing and argument next Term. The unsigned order keeps January 2024’s remedial map (Act 2/SB 8) in place and promises a follow-up directive “in due course” that may add new questions for counsel. An NPR article highlights just how rare this is, quoting several redistricting experts on the matter. Some have called the decision “puzzling,” given the straightforward factual record, while others suggest this decision (or non-decision) by the court could…
Voting Rights Act, ,
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Supreme Court Delays Ruling on Louisiana’s Second Majority‑Black District, Rehearing Slated Next Term

By EditorJun 27, 2025
On Friday, the Supreme Court declined to issue a final verdict on Louisiana’s revised congressional map, which added a second majority‑Black district following a lower court’s finding that the state’s original 2022 map violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black representation. Instead, the high court will rehear the case during its next term that begins in October. Justice Thomas included a dissent with the rehearing order. The challenge stems from non‑Black voters who argue the updated map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. A three‑judge panel blocked the map, but the Court previously permitted its use in the 2024 election…
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U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument : Louisiana v. Callais (Congressional Map)

U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument : Louisiana v. Callais (Congressional Map)

By EditorMay 15, 2025
During the Supreme Court oral argument in Louisiana v. Callais on March 24, 2025, the central issue was whether the congressional map enacted by Louisiana in 2024 appropriately balanced constitutional protections and the requirements of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The Legal Defense Fund (LDF), represented by Stuart Naifeh, argued that the map should be upheld as it fairly acknowledged the political power of Black Louisianians, who constitute one-third of the state's population, by creating two majority-Black districts. This was in contrast to a previous map from 2022 deemed likely to violate the VRA by having only one majority-Black district.…
VIDEO, Voting Rights Act, , , ,
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Justice Department Files Voting Rights Suit Against Fayette County, Tennessee Commissioners

Justice Department Files Voting Rights Suit Against Fayette County, Tennessee Commissioners

By EditorJan 17, 2025
Press Release: January 16, 2025 The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Fayette County, Tennessee, alleging that the Board of County Commissioners violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act when it adopted a redistricting plan that denies the county's Black voters an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, alleges that during the 2021 redistricting cycle, the County Commission deliberately rejected multiple districting plans that would have combined Black communities in districts that would allow Black voters to elect representatives of their choice. In doing so,…
Tennessee, Voting Rights Act, ,
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Justice Department Files Voting Rights Suit Against Houston County, (Georgia) Board of Commissioners

Justice Department Files Voting Rights Suit Against Houston County, (Georgia) Board of Commissioners

By EditorJan 17, 2025
Press Release: Jan. 16, 2025 The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Houston County, Georgia, to challenge the county’s at-large method of electing the Houston County Board of Commissioners. The lawsuit alleges that the county’s current at-large method of electing county commissioners results in Black citizens having less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of choice, in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Black residents make up more than 31% of the county’s voting-age population. In recent years, Black-preferred candidates have run for the Board of Commissioners…
Georgia, Voting Rights Act, ,
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Arizona Predicted to Gain a U.S. House Seat in 2030

Arizona Predicted to Gain a U.S. House Seat in 2030

By EditorJan 10, 2025
Arizona’s rapid growth means it is “likely to pick up a 10th seat in Congress” after the 2030 census, pushing its electoral-vote total from 11 to 12, according to new projections by Election Data Services, which cite a July 1 population estimate of 7.6 million and a forecast of 8.2 million residents by decade’s end. Because House seats are fixed at 435, the gain would come at other states’ expense: Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, New York, and especially California are all expected to lose seats, while Idaho would also add one; Texas and Florida are projected to pick up two each,…
Arizona, Census Law, ,
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Federal Court Rules Mississippi Legislative Maps Must be Redrawn.

Federal Court Rules Mississippi Legislative Maps Must be Redrawn.

By EditorJul 11, 2024
Mississippi's 2022 state legislative districts must be redrawn after a three-judge federal panel declared three districts violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The case is Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP v. State Board of Election Commissioners. Read the opinion and order here. While plaintiffs in this case were suing for an additional four senate districts and three house districts, the court concluded that only two senate and one house district met the requirements for a remedy under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act: "We find that three of the illustrative senate and house districts reflect minority…
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