Mississippi Ordered To Redraw State Supreme Court Election Map
A federal judge has ordered Mississippi to redraw its Supreme Court election map, finding that the current map unfairly weakens the voting power of Black voters. On Aug. 19, U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ruled that the map, which has been in place since 1987, violates the Voting Rights Act and cannot be used for future elections.
A new map must be created before the next election takes place in 2028, according to Courthouse News Service.
The judge agreed that race played a significant factor in the Mississippi Supreme Court voting process and its outcomes.
The lawsuit, filed in April 2022, argued that the map splits the Delta region—an area with a large Black population—in half, diluting the voting power of Black Mississippians living in the “Central district,” or Supreme Court “District 1,” according to the suit. The case centered on claims from four plaintiffs living in Mississippi’s Central district. They argued that the current map unfairly reduces the influence of Black voters, violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voters from racially biased election maps.
Judge Aycock agreed, citing evidence from a 1986 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which set out a framework for determining whether an electoral map unfairly harms minority voters. She found that the Black population in the Central district is large enough and geographically concentrated to form a majority in a single-member district, but white voters typically vote as a bloc, defeating candidates preferred by Black voters.
In simpler terms, Judge Aycock concluded that race played a significant role in voting behavior, beyond just political party lines.
“Race is a significant factor in Mississippi voting patterns,” Judge Aycock wrote in her ruling delivered Tuesday. “Under the totality of the circumstances, the court finds that Black voters in District 1 have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice.”
To support her decision, Judge Aycock referred to testimony from 17 witnesses during an eight-day trial in August 2024, including expert Dr. Byron Orey. Orey analyzed 19 elections between 2011 and 2023, including races for the Supreme Court and other statewide offices. The data showed that Black voters overwhelmingly supported Black candidates, with support ranging from 81% to 96%, while white support for Black candidates was much lower—often under 17% and sometimes in the single digits. This racial divide in voting patterns usually led to the defeat of Black-preferred candidates.
Notably, Mississippi’s constitution divides the state into three Supreme Court districts, each electing three justices. Judge Aycock’s ruling pointed out that only four Black people have ever been on the Mississippi Supreme Court. All of them came from the same area, the Central district, and were appointed to the job by a governor, rather than being elected.
Judge Aycock is currently working on a deadline for the Mississippi Legislature to create a new map for Black Central district voters.
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