In a significant victory for voting rights groups, a federal judge in Texas ruled on Friday that newly redrawn county election districts in Galveston, where Juneteenth began, illegally undermine the voting power of Black and Latino residents. The judge, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, deemed the districts in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act, marking another instance of a court striking down a Republican-drawn political map.
This ruling follows the recent 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of Black voters in a congressional redistricting case from Alabama, further highlighting efforts to preserve the political power of Black voters in the South.
Giving insight into the impact of the redistricting, Brown stated, “This is not a typical redistricting case. What happened here was stark and jarring.”
Galveston County leaders now face the task of proposing new maps later this month, as ordered by Judge Brown. These new maps must include at least one majority-minority precinct to address the voting power dilution faced by the Black and Latino residents of the county.
Regarding the lawsuit challenging the maps, the U.S. Justice Department also joined in opposition to the redrawing of the districts in 2021. However, it is important to note that the ruling only applies to the local county precincts and not the legislative or congressional districts.
Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed the commitment of the Justice Department to protect the voting rights of every eligible citizen, stating, “The Justice Department will continue to stand up for the right of every eligible citizen to vote and to have that vote counted.”
Hilary Harris Klein, an attorney with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, emphasized the impact of the decision, stating, “We hope today’s decision sends a clear signal to governments across the South that they will be held to account for discriminatory voting plans, and will not succeed in silencing the voices of Black and Brown voters.”
This ruling in Galveston County highlights the national attention given to the process of drawing local political districts. In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom recently vetoed legislation that would have mandated the use of independent commissions to draw voting districts in several major cities, counties, and educational districts. Newsom expressed concerns about the potential high cost of implementing independent commissions.