Justice Department sues Houston County, Georgia, for violating Black voters’ rights

On January 16, the U.S. Justice Department announced filing a lawsuit against Houston County, Georgia, to challenge the county’s method of electing the Houston County Board of Commissioners. The lawsuit alleges that the county’s current method of electing county commissioners results in Black citizens having less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of choice, in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The Justice Department said Houston County has elected just one Black commissioner since the end of the Civil War.  ~ The Associated Press

Black residents make up more than 31% of the county’s voting-age population. In recent years, Black-preferred candidates have run for the Board of Commissioners and have routinely lost, despite the county’s sizeable and growing Black population.

“The Voting Rights Act guarantees that all eligible citizens have an equal opportunity to participate in the democratic process and to elect representatives of their choice, regardless of race or ethnicity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“The Justice Department has a solemn duty to protect the right to vote by enforcing the Voting Rights Act and ensuring that all communities have a fair and equal chance to participate. We look forward to working with Houston County officials to bring the county into compliance with the Voting Rights Act.”

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, alleges that changing how commissioners are elected can create opportunities for Black voters to elect candidates of their choice to the five-member Board of Commissioners. For example, by electing commissioners from fairly drawn single-member districts rather than countywide, Black voters would have an equal opportunity to elect a representative of their choice to the Board. The lawsuit seeks a federal court order implementing a new method of electing the Houston County Board of Commissioners.

–

(Source: DoJ)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram