COURT ORDERS FAIRER MAPS FOR JACKSONVILLE
Judge Adopts Maps Proposed by Plaintiffs, Rejects City Council鈥檚 Maps That Diminished the Voices of Black Communities
Jacksonville, Fla. 鈥� Today, a federal court judge ordered fairer maps for the Jacksonville City Council and Duval County School Board. This decision ensures that the maps drawn by Jacksonville voting rights organizations and residents will be used for the next elections in March and May of 2023.
In October, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida found the Jacksonville City Council鈥檚 had likely racially gerrymandered the city by 鈥減acking鈥� together Black communities. The court gave the Jacksonville City Council an opportunity to redraw the maps in a constitutional way. In response, the council drew that continued to unfairly diminish the voices of Black communities, leading the plaintiffs in the case to propose their own fairer alternatives.
The preliminary injunction and mandate for new, fairer maps forms part of the litigation in Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP v. City of Jacksonville 鈥� a case filed on behalf of local organizations, including the , , , , and 10 individual residents.
A copy of the judge鈥檚 order can be found HERE
鈥淲e鈥檙e glad that the court has sided with Jacksonville communities and ensured the fairer maps they championed will be used next cycle,鈥� said Matletha Bennette, senior staff attorney for voting rights at the Southern Poverty Law Center. 鈥淲e hope this gives everyone in Jacksonville a fairer voice to advocate for the changes they want to see.鈥�
鈥淭he courts got it right today by rejecting the city鈥檚 harmful maps and ordering ones that finally protect the will of the people,鈥� said Nick Warren, staff attorney for ACLU of Florida. 鈥淭oday is a big win for the Jacksonville community.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a new day for Jacksonville voters who will finally have a say in our democracy,鈥� said Rosemary McCoy, a Jacksonville resident and plaintiff. 鈥淲e鈥檝e fought for decades for the right to vote, and now, in Jacksonville, it has been restored.鈥�
鈥淲e are glad the court rejected the city鈥檚 unconstitutional maps and presented new maps,鈥� said Ben Frazier, president of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville. 鈥淛acksonville鈥檚 Black residents deserved better and will now have equal representation in our government.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e been waiting decades to see change for Jacksonville residents and today is that day,鈥� said Mon茅 Holder, senior director of advocacy & programs of Florida Rising. 鈥淭he court鈥檚 decision to reject the city鈥檚 unjust maps and order a new one means Black voters in Jacksonville get fairer representation in government.鈥�
