Nassau County Agrees to Redraw Voting Maps

Nassau County, NY, has settled a lawsuit alleging its voting map disenfranchised residents of color. The settlement requires the redrawing of the map to create six districts where minority groups constitute a majority of eligible voters.

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The Lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union and other groups, argued that the 2023 map, approved by the Republican-controlled legislature, diluted the voting power of Black, Latino, and Asian residents. The plaintiffs contended that the map split minority communities and combined them with dissimilar groups, hindering the election of officials representative of the county's diversity.

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Currently, whites make up about 56% of Nassau County's population but nearly 80% of its governing body.

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The Settlement

The new map will be in effect for the November legislative elections and will remain until the 2030 census. While the Nassau County Republican Party claims commitment to "fair and competitive" districts, the settlement represents a significant step towards fairer representation.

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Plaintiff Lisa Ortiz stated, "This map is a big step towards equality and fairness in our community’s democracy. After years of having our votes and voices diluted and ignored, we finally have an equal voice at the polls."

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Context: New York's Voting Rights Act

This lawsuit is one of several filed under New York's Voting Rights Act (enacted in 2022), responding to voting restrictions passed in many Republican-led states after the 2020 election.