Mississippi DeSoto County Redistricting Challenge

Lawsuit filed by DeSoto County NAACP, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and two voters against DeSoto County, DeSoto County Board of Supervisors, DeSoto County Election Commission and DeSoto County Circuit Clerk Dale Thompson challenging the county’s 2022 redistricting plan. The plan governs elections for countywide positions, including the county’s Board of Supervisors, Board of Education, Election Commission, Justice Court, and Constables — a total of 25 positions. The plaintiffs allege that the redistricting plan splits the Black community across different districts, diluting their voting power in a Section 2 violation of the Voting Rights Act. Candidates preferred by the Black community have rarely been elected to county office, and no Black candidate has been elected in at least 20 years. Despite the growing Black community, with Black citizens making up nearly a third of the population in the 2020 Census, the plaintiffs claim not one Black or Black-preferred candidate was elected into office under the 2022 redistricting plan. 

They asked the court to prohibit county officials from using the 2022 redistricting plan and hold special elections under a valid redistricting plan that does not dilute Black voting power. 

STATUS: The plaintiffs filed their complaint on Sept. 12, 2024. The defendants have not responded yet.

Last updated: September 19, 2024 6:46 pm EST