Cases & Actions
Harris v. DeSoto County, Mississippi
The Election Law Clinic, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU of Mississippi, represent Mississippi voters, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the NAACP Unit in DeSoto County, Mississippi,in a lawsuit challenging local district maps under the Voting Rights Act. District maps passed by the DeSoto County, Mississippi Board of Supervisors deny Black voters equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice.
STATUS: ACTIVE
UPDATED: September 12, 2024
BACKGROUND
After the 2020 Census, the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors adopted new district maps, redrawing voting districts for the next decade. The Board of Supervisors refused to engage with Black constituents in the redistricting process. The resulting maps divide the Black community between districts, diluting their voting power.
Historic and ongoing racial discrimination exacerbate the discriminatory effects of DeSoto County’s district maps, as do state and local voting practices which disproportionately burden Black residents. The Black community’s inability to participate equally in the political process is reflected in disparities in income and wealth, housing, education, and criminal justice.
Plaintiffs to enjoin further elections under the current, discriminatory maps, and the adoption of a redistricting plan which does not deny or abridge the right of Black voters to elect candidates of their choice.