Appellate judges block new Miami voting map ahead of November election – NBC 6 South Florida
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit blocked the implementation of a redrawn voting map for the City of Miami in a 2-1 decision Friday.
The plaintiff in the case, the American Civil Liberties Union, is asking the Supreme Court of the United States to appeal the decision. The Supreme Court will now decide whether to hear the case.
Attorneys with the ACLU filed an emergency application to vacate the Circuit’s stay of the order. The SCOTUS ruling would be the final decision in the case if they choose to hear it.
A three-judge appellate panel sided with the city and blocked the new map redrawn by the American Civil Liberties Union. In a 2-1 decision, judges ruled it was too close to the November election to change the map, citing significant costs, confusion and hardships on candidates, voters and the public.
“Given the fact that you’ve had Supreme Court rulings on congressional districts in Alabama and other parts of the country you may very well see them opine. It’s not very common, this close to an election, or for this small of a race, but is it out of the realm of possibility given recent history? No,” said NBC6 political analyst Mike Hernandez.
The new voting map, drawn by attorneys for the ACLU, would shift the boundaries of the city’s commission districts.
Judges Elizabeth L. Branch and Robert Luck, siding with the City of Miami, said the lawsuit was filed too close to the November election, citing costs, and confusion and hardship on candidates, voters and the public.
“The city agrees with the reasoning of the Court’s order granting the stay, particularly because the district court order would have caused significant disruption and confusion to voters in the upcoming municipal elections in November,” City of Miami attorney Victoria Mendez said in a statement.
In a dissenting opinion, Judge Charles R. Wilson said that the case was delayed because of the city’s own lateness in appealing, not because of the plaintiffs.
The decision came just a few days after U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore ruled in favor of the ACLU on July 30, ordering the City of Miami to use the redrawn voting map in the upcoming elections.
The city was originally sued in December 2022 for racial gerrymandering – a tactic in which voting maps are used to reduce the voice of certain demographics – after new district lines were approved by city commissioners.
Commissioners Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Sabina Covo and Manolo Reyes are currently running for reelection in November.
“City of Miami residents won. The Appellate Court saw through the bogus arguments made by the plaintiffs in their attempt to mislead our community,” Portilla said.
The city was originally sued in December 2022 for racial gerrymandering – a tactic in which voting maps are used to reduce the voice of certain demographics – after new district lines were approved by city commissioners.
