CASE SUMMARY

On April 25, 2022, a group of Mississippi voters filed a federal lawsuit against Mississippi's State Board of Election Commissioners, Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State challenging the Mississippi Supreme Court's districts as violating the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. First, plaintiffs allege the districts, which hadn't been redrawn since 1987, result in the dilution of Black voters' voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, citing the State's failure to draw a majority-Black district in the center-region of the State. Second, they allege the districts as a whole constitute intentional racial discrimination in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. They are requesting a judicial declaration that the Mississippi Supreme Court districts are unconstitutional and unlawful, a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the defendants from holding elections under the existing districts, a court order establishing a deadline by which the State must enact or adopt new, lawful districts and, if the State fails to do so, for the court to order the adoption of remedial plans.

CASE LIBRARY

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, Greenville Division - No. 4:22-cv-62