No Jim Crow Maps in Mississippi; there’s no reason for lawmakers to rush to capitol to draw maps that give Black voters less representation
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Last updated on August 07, 2026
Fight For Fair Maps: Redistricting in Mississippi
We are fighting for fair maps. There’s no reason for lawmakers to rush to the capitol to draw maps that give Black voters less representation
On April 29, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana violated the Constitution when it drew a congressional map giving Black voters a fair opportunity to elect candidates of their choice in two districts. In reaching that result, the Court rewrote Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the provision that for six decades has been the country’s strongest protection against maps drawn to dilute Black voting strength. Justice Elena Kagan wrote in dissent that the ruling leaves Section 2 all but a dead letter.
The Voting Rights Act is still on the books. What has changed is that proving a map dilutes Black voting strength is now far harder, and the burden the Court placed on voters is one that few cases will be able to carry.
Mississippi felt the effect within weeks.
- State legislative districts. On May 18, the Supreme Court threw out the federal court judgment that had required Mississippi to redraw parts of its 2022 House and Senate maps, and sent the case back to the district court to be reconsidered under the new standard. Those remedial districts produced the November 2025 special elections, which ended the Republican supermajority in the state Senate.
- Mississippi Supreme Court districts. A federal court found in August 2025 that the state’s high court districts, drawn in 1987 and never changed since, deny Black voters an equal opportunity in the Central District. After Callais, the injunction was lifted and the case returned to district court. Those same district lines also govern elections for the Public Service Commission and the Transportation Commission.
- DeSoto County. On June 24, a federal judge rejected a challenge to the county’s map, applying Callais. DeSoto is the fastest-growing county in Mississippi and is more than a third Black. All 25 county offices governed by that map are held by white officials.
The Legislature is drawing new maps right now
On Aug. 3, the Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting met at the Capitol for the first time since the ruling and set a schedule of eight public hearings across the state. The committee has 20 members, 16 Republicans and four Democrats. It hired the law firm Butler Snow as general counsel. Lawmakers say they will begin drawing maps after the hearings conclude, with the state legislative and Supreme Court maps first in line and the congressional map possible as well.
These hearings are the public’s opening. Every hearing begins at 6 p.m. and all eight will be streamed live on the Mississippi Legislature’s YouTube channel.
- Aug. 18, Itawamba Community College, Tupelo
- Aug. 27, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Senatobia
- Sept. 1, Delta State University, Cleveland
- Sept. 8, Alcorn State University, Natchez
- Sept. 10, Meridian Community College, Meridian
- Sept. 17, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg
- Sept. 22, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gulfport
- Sept. 24, Mississippi Capitol Building, Jackson
Where the ACLU of Mississippi stands
We are still in court. We represent Mississippi voters in the challenge to the state Supreme Court districts and we are prepared to show that those districts are discriminatory and violate federal law even under the standard Callais imposed. We were counsel in DeSoto County and we said plainly what that ruling meant: the Supreme Court changed how these cases are judged, but it did not change the reality that some politicians still use redistricting to limit the voting power of Black Mississippians.
Redistricting is not a matter best left to politicians and lawyers. It decides who represents you on your county board of supervisors, in the Legislature, on the courts, and in Congress. A map drawn in a closed room in August is a decade of your life. Show up while the lines are still being drawn.
Join us in our continued fight for fair maps.
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The population in Mississippi grew by 0.57% between 2012-2019 using ACS 5 year estimates.
Using 2019 Census CVAP estimates we explored districts that are withing range of becoming a majority minority district, and looked for evidence of packed and cracked districts. Based on this analysis, it appears that as many as 5 districts could be made majority Black. Here is a deeper look at the data in our Mississipi Legislative Senate District and House District demographic analysis.
Not sure which district you currently live in? Find out here.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
1. WATCH OUR VIDEO SERIES "THE PRECEDENT"
2. ATTEND A REDISTRICTING HEARING
The Joint Committee will be conducting a series of public hearings to obtain citizens comments
and suggestions on the redistricting efforts of the Mississippi Legislature. Members of the public
are encouraged to attend and participate in these hearings which will be held throughout the state.
Additionally, the hearings will be live streamed on the Mississippi Legislature’s YouTube
channel which can be accessed through the Mississippi Legislature’s website:
http://www.legislature.ms.gov
When and where are the public hearings?
Eight hearings are scheduled, each beginning at 6 p.m. All will be streamed live on the Mississippi Legislature’s YouTube channel.
Aug. 18, Itawamba Community College, Tupelo
Aug. 27, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Senatobia
Sept. 1, Delta State University, Cleveland
Sept. 8, Alcorn State University, Natchez
Sept. 10, Meridian Community College, Meridian
Sept. 17, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg
Sept. 22, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gulfport
Sept. 24, Mississippi Capitol Building, Jackson
What should I say at a hearing?
Speak about your community, not about legal doctrine. The most useful testimony tells the committee where your community actually is and what it shares.
Say where you live and how long you have lived there.
Describe your community of interest: the towns, neighborhoods, churches, schools and roads that hold it together, and the concerns its residents share.
Say plainly whether the current lines keep that community together or split it apart, and name the specific places where it is cut.
Ask that maps be published in full and that the public be given time to review them before any vote.
Keep it to two or three minutes and leave a written copy with the committee.
What if I cannot attend a hearing?
Watch the livestream on the Legislature’s YouTube channel, then submit written comment to the committee and contact your own senator and representative directly. Written testimony carries weight, particularly when it describes a specific community and specific lines. You can also organize neighbors, a church group or an organization to attend together, which is more effective than any single voice.
How do I find out what districts I am in?
Your voter registration record lists your legislative, congressional and county districts. You can look them up through the Mississippi Secretary of State’s voter information portal or by contacting your county circuit clerk.
Is there anything left to protect voters?
Yes, though the tools are narrower. Maps drawn with proven discriminatory intent can still be challenged under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Section 2 remains law and can still be enforced in the strongest cases. Congress can restore what the Court took away. And the redistricting process itself is public, which means transparency, turnout and organized testimony matter more now than they have in 60 years, because the courts will catch less of what the maps get wrong.
What is the ACLU of Mississippi doing?
We are litigating, monitoring the Legislature’s process, and organizing voters to testify. We represent plaintiffs in the challenge to the state Supreme Court districts and were counsel in the DeSoto County case. Sign up for updates and we will tell you when a hearing is coming to your part of the state and what the committee has done since the last one.
On Aug. 3, the Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting met at the Capitol for the first time since the ruling and set a schedule of eight public hearings across the state. The committee has 20 members, 16 Republicans and four Democrats. It hired the law firm Butler Snow as general counsel. Lawmakers say they will begin drawing maps after the hearings conclude, with the state legislative and Supreme Court maps first in line and the congressional map possible as well.
These hearings are the public’s opening. Every hearing begins at 6 p.m. and all eight will be streamed live on the Mississippi Legislature’s YouTube channel.
3. ORGANIZE A GROUP AND REQUEST AN ACLU OF MISSISSIPPI VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSION
- Email Lydia Grizzell at lgrizzell@aclu-ms.org to make a request.
4. TELL LAWMAKERS: STOP RUSHING MAPS THAT SILENCE BLACK VOTERS
Lawmakers must slow down, listen to communities, and draw fair maps that protect representation for all Mississippians.
The Mississippi state legislature and the governor decide the boundaries of the district maps. The members of a 20-member standing committee called the Mississippi Joint Legislative Redistricting Committee (MJLRC) conduct the bulk of the work that create proposed maps. Demand transparency by reaching out to your representative and/or senator. Ask them to hold public hearings after the maps are drawn but before they are voted on by the legislature.
- Copy ted.booth@peer.ms.gov on all of your emails.
House Select Committee on Redistricting
Co-Chairs: Noah Sanford; Kevin Horan
Members: Scott Bounds, Sam Creekmore, Dan Eubanks, Casey Eure, Rodney Hall, Joey Hood, Lataisha Jackson, Timaka James-Jones, Brad Mattox, Jay McKnight, Carl Mickens, Tracey Rosebud, Mark Tullos.
Tracking priorities: District represented, leadership roles, voting history, public statements, stakeholder relationships, and meeting opportunities.
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Standing Joint Redistricting & Reapportionment Committee
Republicans (16): Daniel Sparks, Briggs Hopson, Josh Harkins, Dean Kirby, Brice Wiggins, Mike Thompson, Jeremy England, Lane Taylor, Donnie Bell, Rodney Hall, Kevin Horan, Scott Bounds, Jay McKnight, Missy McGee, Noah Sanford, Mark Tullos.
Democrats (4): Angela Turner-Ford, Albert Butler, Tracey Rosebud, Carl Mickens
FIND COMMITTEE MEMBER CONTACT INFORMATION HERE
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