Landmark Settlement Secures Fair Voting Maps in Nassau County
Settlement requires a fair map, replaces a partisan gerrymander that diluted political power of voters of color
NASSAU COUNTY, NY 鈥� Today, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Steptoe LLP, 吃瓜直播 (吃瓜直播), LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) announced the first settlement of its kind in New York on behalf of Black, Latino, and Asian voters that will establish fair, equitable legislative maps for voters in Nassau County.
, voters challenged the redistricting plan for the Nassau County Legislature as a partisan gerrymander that diluted the votes of Nassau County's Black, Latino, and Asian communities. Though residents of color make up over one-third of Nassau County鈥檚 eligible voters, the redistricting map rushed through the Nassau County Legislature created only four districts out of 19 in which Black, Latino, and Asian residents constituted a majority of eligible voters.
Now, once signed by the Court, a consent decree in will replace that discriminatory map with a politically fair map that includes six districts in which Black, Latino, and Asian residents constitute a majority of eligible voters, with an additional district that rectifies the prior map鈥檚 dilution of Asian voting influence.
鈥淭his map is a big step towards equality and fairness in our community鈥檚 democracy,鈥� said Lisa Ortiz, a plaintiff in this case. 鈥淎fter years of having our votes and voices diluted and ignored, we finally have an equal voice at the polls. We鈥檙e deeply gratified that our case delivered fairness for voters 鈥� and that voters of color will now have as much say as anyone else in Nassau County.鈥�
鈥淭his historic settlement says it loud and clear: efforts to partisan gerrymander and to deny communities of color their constitutionally-protected power at the ballot box will not stand in New York,鈥� said Perry Grossman, Director of the Voting Rights Project at the New York Civil Liberties Union. 鈥淯sing all the tools and protections we secured in the New York Voting Rights Act and the Municipal Home Rule Law, every voter in Nassau County will now have a fair, equal opportunity to make their voice heard. 2025 elections are around the corner and, with this settlement, Nassau voters will have a real chance to elect legislators who truly represent their interests.鈥�
鈥淭oday marks a historic victory for the voters of Nassau County,鈥� said Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux, deputy director of the 吃瓜直播's Voting Rights Project. 鈥淭his settlement reflects a critical step toward dismantling barriers that have hindered the influence of Black, Latino, and Asian communities. By securing fair legislative maps, voters 鈥� including our plaintiffs 鈥� now have a chance to elect candidates who value their concerns and priorities.鈥�
This decision follows the late last year; that decision affirmed that the NYVRA requires equal opportunity in electoral systems, not race-based preference for one group of voters over another. The new map implemented under this settlement will govern Nassau County鈥檚 legislative elections through the redistricting cycle after the 2030 census, when maps will be redrawn to reflect updated census counts.
鈥淲e are immensely proud to have achieved this landmark settlement, which provides fair representation for all of Nassau County鈥檚 voters,鈥� said Michael G. Scavelli, partner at Steptoe LLP and co-lead counsel on the matter. 鈥淭his result would not have been possible without the tireless work of a truly remarkable team of clients, lawyers, and legal professionals. It was a privilege to stand up with each of them in the courtroom to tell our clients鈥� stories and demonstrate why fair maps and a fair mapmaking process matters. Our Steptoe team looks forward to continuing this important work.鈥�
鈥淲e are incredibly proud that the new redistricting map will help ensure our communities are better represented and have a fair and equitable say in the upcoming 2025 legislative races and other future elections," said Cesar Ruiz, Associate Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF. 鈥淐ommunities of color in Nassau can breathe a sigh of relief and begin the critical work of organizing and mobilizing for their collective future knowing that their vote counts. We are proud to fight on behalf of our comunidad always, 隆Pa'lante Siempre Pa'lante!"
鈥淭his new legislative map is a historic win for the voters of Nassau County, especially for the county鈥檚 rapidly growing Asian American community in the greater New Hyde Park area that had been illegally divided by the prior district lines,鈥� said Ben Goldstein, Legal Fellow at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). 鈥淲ith this new map, Asian voters will have an equal opportunity to influence the outcome of elections, as New York law requires. Nassau County鈥檚 voters鈥攁nd even candidates鈥攐f color can now participate in the political process on a more level playing field as a result of this settlement.鈥�
Voting Rights
New York Communities for Change v. Nassau County
Voting Rights
New York Communities for Change v. Nassau County
Learn More 吃瓜直播 the Issues in This Press Release
-
Press ReleaseMay 2025
Voting Rights
Black Alabama Voters Win Fair Congressional Representation For Remainder Of The Decade. Explore Press Release.Black Alabama Voters Win Fair Congressional Representation for Remainder of the Decade
BIRMINGHAM, AL 鈥� A federal court has ruled after a full trial that Alabama鈥檚 2023 congressional map not only violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act but was enacted by the Alabama Legislature with racially discriminatory intent. This ruling establishes that the Alabama congressional map must include two districts where Black voters have the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice (like the map ordered by the court in October 2023) for the remainder of the decade. The court-ordered map used in the 2024 elections resulted in Alabama electing two Black representatives to Congress for the first time in history. The court鈥檚 decision follows a series of legal challenges where a group of voters argued that Alabama鈥檚 congressional districts violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting power. The Supreme Court agreed in a 2023 ruling that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on that claim, and in its decision in Allen v. Milligan, mandated the creation of a second opportunity district that resulted in the current map. Despite these previous decisions, Alabama insisted on a full trial of the case, and once again the Court ruled against its congressional map as unfairly harming Black voters. This time, however, also ruled that Alabama had intentionally discriminated against its Black citizens in enacting the map. The case was originally brought in November 2021 on behalf of Evan Milligan, Khadidah Stone, Letetia Jackson, Shalela Dowdy, Greater Birmingham Ministries, and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP who are represented by the 吃瓜直播, 吃瓜直播 of Alabama, Legal Defense Fund, Hogan Lovells LLP, and Wiggins, Childs, Pantazis, Fisher & Goldfarb. 鈥淭his win is a testament to the dedication and persistence of many generations of Black Alabamians who pursued political equality at great cost. We stand on the shoulders of our predecessors. We know that all Alabamians will benefit from today鈥檚 victory just as we have benefited from the work of others. We hope our win will benefit Black voters in the rest of the country as well. This is a triumph for voting rights, an independent judiciary, and offers us hope for the future of our democracy,鈥� a joint comment from plaintiffs of the case. 鈥淭he court has once again recognized that in order to comply with the Voting Rights Act,鈥� said Davin Rosborough, deputy director of the 吃瓜直播鈥檚 Voting Rights Project, "it is essential that Alabama鈥檚 congressional map have two opportunity districts for Black voters.鈥� 鈥淭oday鈥檚 decision is a testament to the persistence and resilience of Black voters in Alabama, including our clients,鈥� said Deuel Ross, deputy director of litigation at the Legal Defense Fund. 鈥淎labama鈥檚 unprecedented defiance of the Supreme Court and the lower court orders harkens back to the darkest days of American history. The court鈥檚 ruling reaffirms the rule of law and the importance of protecting the fundamental right to vote of Black Alabamians in the Black belt and all Americans.鈥� "This ruling is not just a legal win 鈥� it鈥檚 an overdue acknowledgment of Alabama lawmakers' persistent attempts to shut out Black voters from the electoral process,鈥� said Laurel Hattix, senior attorney at the 吃瓜直播 of Alabama. 鈥淔or decades, Black Alabamians have organized and fought for not just their voting rights, but the voting rights of all Americans. Today, the courts have affirmed what Black voters have long known: fair representation is not optional 鈥� it鈥檚 a right.鈥� Read the court's ruling here: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/05/490-FOF-COL-Injunction.pdf -
Press ReleaseApr 2025
Voting Rights
Court Blocks Documentary Proof-of-citizenship Provision In Voting Executive Order. Explore Press Release.Court Blocks Documentary Proof-of-Citizenship Provision in Voting Executive Order
WASHINGTON, D.C. 鈥� Today, a federal court judge issued a ruling in League of Women Voters et. al. v. Trump et. al., temporarily blocking the U.S. Election Assistance Commission from implementing a mandate in the president鈥檚 executive order to add a requirement to show a passport or similar document proving citizenship when registering to vote via the federal form. While the case proceeds, this injunction preserves the status quo wherein would-be-voters already affirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens on the federal form. Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the 吃瓜直播's Voting Rights Project, released the following statement: 鈥淧resident Trump's attempt to impose a documentary proof of citizenship requirement on the federal voter registration form is an unconstitutional abuse of power. If implemented, it would place serious and unnecessary burdens on everyday Americans and strain already overburdened election officials. This executive order is part of a broader attack on our democratic elections by promoting baseless nativist conspiracy theories. Today, the court blocked a key strategy of this attack. And we will keep fighting to ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard without interference or intimidation." The 吃瓜直播 and co-counsel partners representing the League of Women Voters plaintiffs also made the following joint statement in reaction to the preliminary injunction: 鈥淭he court鈥檚 decision today provides crucial protections for eligible voters, and the organizations that help them register to vote, while the fight continues against this illegal executive order. Millions of U.S. citizens lack easy access to a passport or other documents proving citizenship, and that shouldn鈥檛 interfere with their ability to register to vote. 鈥淭he president鈥檚 attempted takeover of federal elections is a blatant overreach to seize power that doesn鈥檛 belong to him. Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the U.S. Congress and states. The president lacks authority to rewrite the country鈥檚 election rules on his own by weaponizing an independent, bipartisan commission to harm eligible voters. The order should ultimately be struck down. 鈥淥ur clients are conducting voter registration using the federal form on an ongoing basis, including for elections scheduled for this summer and fall. Not only would our clients be harmed by the mandate to include this unnecessary and cumbersome requirement but the voters they serve would be too.鈥� The plaintiffs in League of Women Voters et. al. v. Trump et. al. are Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote,鈥� Hispanic Federation, National League of Women Voters, League of Women Voters of Arizona, League of Women Voters Education Fund, NAACP, and OCA 鈥� Asian Pacific American Advocates. They are represented by the 吃瓜直播, 吃瓜直播 of D.C., Asian Americans Advancing Justice 鈥� AAJC (Advancing Justice 鈥� AAJC), Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, the Legal Defense Fund, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF. See a copy of the ruling here: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/04/2025-04-24-Memorandum-Opinion-dckt-104_0-1.pdf -
CaliforniaApr 2025
Voting Rights
Issa V. Weber. Explore Case.Issa v. Weber
Congressman Darrell Issa sued to prevent California from counting mail ballots postmarked by election day and received within the following seven days, consistent with California law. If successful, literally hundreds of thousands of Californians will be disenfranchised at each election. The 吃瓜直播 and its three California affiliates have sought to intervene in the case on behalf of the League of Women Voters of California to ensure that California voters are able to have their ballots counted consistent with state procedures. -
Press ReleaseApr 2025
Voting Rights
Federal Court Rules Mississippi's Legislative Remedial Maps Still Violate Voting Rights Act In Desoto County. Explore Press Release.Federal Court Rules Mississippi's Legislative Remedial Maps Still Violate Voting Rights Act in Desoto County
JACKSON, Miss. 鈥� A federal court yesterday ruled that remedial state Senate maps passed by the Legislature earlier this year still do not remedy unlawful vote dilution in the DeSoto County area. New maps for the area will now be ordered into place by the court in advance of special elections set for November 2025. In March, the Mississippi Legislature proposed new legislative maps intended to comply with a 2024 federal court order to create additional legislative districts 鈥渋n which Black voters have an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.鈥� The court order came after a group of plaintiffs, including the State Conference of the NAACP and individual Black voters from across the state, successfully proved at trial that the state House and Senate maps enacted after the 2020 Census diluted Black voting strength in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The court directed lawmakers to enact three remedial districts in the DeSoto County and Hattiesburg areas in the state Senate, and the Chickasaw and Monroe County area in the state House. Representing the plaintiffs, a coalition including the 吃瓜直播鈥檚 Voting Rights Project, the 吃瓜直播 of Mississippi, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Mississippi Center for Justice, and attorney Carroll Rhodes filed partial objections to the Legislature鈥檚 remedial plans as to the lines in the DeSoto County area and the Chickasaw/Monroe County area. The court鈥檚 decision accepted the Legislature鈥檚 remedial plans in the Hattiesburg area (which plaintiffs did not challenge) and in the Chickasaw/Monroe County area, but sustained plaintiffs鈥� objections in DeSoto County. Plaintiffs submitted alternative plans for the Senate districts in the DeSoto County area which the court will now consider as a potential remedy. The court also gave the state defendants seven days to propose their own alternative remedial map for the area. The following is reaction to the court ruling: 鈥淭his is an important win for Black voters in the DeSoto County area, who deserve nothing less than a fully equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice,鈥� said Ari Savitzky, senior staff attorney with the 吃瓜直播鈥檚 Voting Rights Project. 鈥淭he court鈥檚 decision makes that possible. We will keep fighting to enforce voters鈥� rights under the Voting Rights Act.鈥� 鈥淭he court rightly rejected the proposed DeSoto County senate districts. The Mississippi Legislature鈥檚 attempt to skirt the law would have actually diminished Black voting power in the northwest corner of the state.鈥� Jarvis Dortch, executive director of the 吃瓜直播 of Mississippi. 鈥淥ur goal in this case is to achieve fair representation for Black people in Mississippi. This ruling striking down the state鈥檚 legislative map for DeSoto County takes an important step toward that goal. The court gave the state another chance to get its map right. We will carefully review the state鈥檚 new map to ensure that it enables Black voters to participate fully in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice,鈥� said Jennifer Nwachukwu, senior counsel from the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The ruling is here.