Redistricting

The order is the latest victory for civil rights groups claiming discrimination and intimidation leading up to the 2022 midterms, but history indicates the case is unlikely to be resolved before voters head to the polls.

In March, an attorney sued Austin City Council members on behalf of a dozen residents. He argued roughly 24,000 people who had been moved into new council districts as part of the city’s redistricting efforts had been denied their right to elect a local representative.

The lawsuit marks the third time the Biden administration has targeted Texas over changes to political maps or voting laws.

Attorneys for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus took their latest challenge to Texas’s new political maps to the state’s high court. They argue lawmakers violated the Texas Constitution when drawing state house districts in the Rio Grande Valley.

If the lawsuit is successful, representatives for all 10 council districts would be on the November ballot, rather than just five.

The lawsuit alleges a GOP-drawn map of Texas Senate districts dilutes the voting power of minorities in North Texas. Attorneys say it could be a preview of what’s to come in the larger legal battle facing the state’s controversial new political boundaries.

The Department of Justice alleges lawmakers discriminated against Latino and Black voters when they redrew the maps this year.

Fairness to parties in drawing legislative districts may be an unworkable goal. However, reforming other rules that govern how districts are drawn and votes are counted could make more contests competitive and enhance legislators’ accountability to the public.

The U.S. Senate could consider the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act as soon as this week. Last week, Senate Republicans blocked the Freedom To Vote Act, a different election-related bill.

Most elections, experts warn, could be over during primaries — which means fewer voters will be choosing candidates.