"5th Circuit Panel Challenges Precedent, Confirms Voting Rights Violation in Galveston County, TX"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Democracy Docket
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed that Galveston County, Texas violated the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by diluting the voting power of Black and Latino communities. However, the court has called for a rehearing of the case in full, expressing its intent to overturn established precedent that allows the aggregation of distinct minority communities for Section 2 vote dilution claims. The ruling follows a trial decision that found Galveston County engaged in a "stark and jarring" VRA violation by dismantling the county's sole majority-minority commissioners court precinct. The future trajectory of the case and the viability of minority-coalition Section 2 claims in the 5th Circuit remain uncertain.