A federal three-judge panel has ordered state officials in DeSoto County, Miss., to develop a new legislative map that ensures Black voters have a fair opportunity to elect candidates to the state Senate. The ruling, issued on Tuesday evening, gives the State Board of Election Commissioners seven days to propose a new map for the area, as the state faces a time crunch to hold special elections in November for redrawn legislative districts.
The panel, which included U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan, U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, and U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Leslie Southwick, previously ruled that the redistricting efforts in 2022 violated federal civil rights law by diluting Black voting power. The Legislature attempted to address the issue during the 2025 session but faced objections from plaintiffs, including the state chapter of the NAACP and Black voters.
While the judges accepted the redistricting portion for Chickasaw County, they objected to the proposed plan for DeSoto County. They criticized the plan for yoking high-turnout white communities in the Hernando area to poorer, predominantly Black towns in the Mississippi Delta, making it challenging for Black voters to elect their preferred candidates.
The order could impact the election schedule, but the judges emphasized their commitment to ensuring voter participation in November. With the deadline looming, state officials must work quickly to develop a new map that complies with federal redistricting laws and provides fair representation for Black voters in the DeSoto County area.
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