Mississippi Supreme Court justices listen to arguments in Jackson, Miss., on July 6, 2023. On Friday, a judge ordered special elections for the court after earlier finding that the electoral map used to select justices violates the Voting Rights Act.
Rogelio V. Solis/AP
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Rogelio V. Solis/AP
JACKSON, Miss. â In a recent ruling, a judge has ordered special elections for the Mississippi Supreme Court following a finding that the current electoral map violates the Voting Rights Act.
U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock had previously mandated a redraw of the map due to its dilution of Black voter power. The Mississippi Legislature has until the end of its 2026 regular session to create a new map as per the latest ruling.
The challenge to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the primary means of combating racially discriminatory election practices, is currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Upon approval of a new map by the legislature, Judge Aycock has pledged to expedite the process to facilitate special elections in November 2026.
Aycock also stated that the determination of which seats will be subject to special elections will be made after the adoption of the new map.
The ruling stems from a 2022 ACLU lawsuit alleging that the current map divides Mississippi’s historically Black Delta region, thereby diminishing the Black vote in the Central District.
“Mississippi is nearly 40% Black, but has never had more than one Black Justice on the nine-member Court,” stated Ari Savitzky, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. “We couldn’t be happier to see justice on the horizon.”
In her previous ruling, Aycock highlighted that only four Black individuals have served on Mississippi’s Supreme Court, all occupying the same seat in the Central District and initially appointed by a sitting governor.
The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office is appealing Aycock’s decision, with proceedings on hold at the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals pending the outcome of the SCOTUS case and related matters.
Requests for comments from the Mississippi Secretary of State and Attorney General’s offices have gone unanswered.
In a separate development, two Mississippi Supreme Court justices were appointed to federal judgeships in December. Governor Tate Reeves will appoint interim replacements until new justices are elected.
Notably, Supreme Court elections in Mississippi are conducted on a nonpartisan basis.
