Supreme Court sides with City of Miami in voting map controversy – NBC 6 South Florida

The Supreme Court made a decision on the City of Miami voting map controversy.

The court Thursday denied the American Civil Liberties Union’s application, meaning the city’s map will be used this November for the municipal election.

“City of Miami residents won big today as our nation’s highest court recognized that political shenanigans by special interest groups will not be tolerated by an impartial Supreme Court,” said Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla. “They said enough is enough and I agree. Our City Commission approved maps meet constitutional standards and protect our City of Miami neighborhoods. End of story.”

A map drawn by the city will be used to determine who can vote and who can run for city commission seats in districts 1, 2 and 4 in the November elections. Commissioners de la Portilla, Sabina Covo and Manolo Reyes are currently running for reelection.

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.

The map approved by Miami commissioners “was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander that divided neighborhoods along racial lines, packed Black and Hispanic voters into specific districts, and undermined fair representation,” the ACLU said in a news release.

The ACLU, along with various community groups, created another voting map. Appellate court judges blocked its implementation, saying the lawsuit was filed too close to the November election, citing costs, confusion and hardship on candidates, voters and the public. 

“This decision by the Supreme Court is disheartening and a blow to the residents of Miami and our democracy,” ACLU attorney Carrie McNamara said. “Unfortunately, that Court has chosen to temporarily permit blatantly gerrymandered maps that divide our communities along racial lines, compromising our right to fair representation. This decision has taken us a step back, stripping Miami residents of their voice and ability to be adequately represented, regardless of their race.”