Federal Court Orders Mississippi to Redraw Legislative Maps

Judges find current districts dilute Black voting power, mandate creation of three new Black-majority districts.

The ruling requires two new Black-majority Senate districts and one new Black-majority House district.
The decision follows a lawsuit by the NAACP and individual voters alleging racial discrimination in the current map.
Mississippi's Black population has grown since the 2010 census, while the White population has decreased.
The court found the existing map violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black electoral power.
Special elections will be held in the newly drawn districts if the decision is not appealed.