ACLU of MS Statement on the Fight for Fair Maps at the Supreme Court
March 30, 2026 11:35 am
In August 2025, a Federal Court held that the current Supreme Court district lines dilute the voting strength of Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
The Court gave the Mississippi Legislature, through the end of the 2026 regular session, an opportunity to redraw the district maps and comply with the Court order.
Instead of acting with transparency and urgency by presenting maps in committee and on the floor, legislators have delayed, avoided public input, and are apparently drawing new maps behind closed doors. Communities who fought and won in court are being shut out of the very process meant to remedy the harm.
“This is not what good governance looks like. A closed door process risks repeating the same discrimination the court already struck down,” said Jarvis Dortch, Executive Director of the ACLU of Mississippi. “It sends a message that political convenience is being prioritized over the constitutional rights of Mississippians.”
Fair maps should not be negotiated in secret. Our State Supreme Court is too important. All people in Mississippi deserve free, fair districts that meet the criteria of the Voting Rights Act and guarantee an equal voice in government.
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