Category: Voting Rights Act (VRA)

Apparent Racial Gerrymandering in Tarrant County, TX Draws Condemnation and a VRA Lawsuit.  The County’s Reply?  It’s OK. It was for Political Reasons.

Tarrant County, Texas county commissioners approved a new county redistricting map June 3rd diluting the votes of Black and Hispanic voters, but commissioners claim the gerrymandering was for “political”, not racial reasons.  The map likely eliminates a majority minority district, and has drawn widespread condemnation and a Voting Rights Act lawsuit.

Courts Use the ‘Gingles Test’ to Determine Whether Redistricting Violates the Voting Rights Act

Five years into the redistricting cycle, we're still litigating racially gerrymandered voting maps. Today, we’re looking at a principle called the “Gingles Test” that federal courts use when determining whether a gerrymandered redistricting map is a violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. How that test is interpreted can determine whether minority voters can elect the candidate of their choice, or their vote is diluted by an anti-voter state legislature.