JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville is redrawing their district maps after a judge ruled that Black voters are segregated based on race, weakening their impact in elections.
What does this mean for you, and how will the city re-draw maps so that they are racially appropriate?
The city's districts map set the foundation for determining what city polices and residential services are adopted, as well as who is elected to city council and school boards.
So it’s important that all voices are represented in each district.
“It’s an attempt to take away our voting power, and we’re not going to stand for it," Joseph George, a Jacksonville voter and member of the Northside Coalition, said.
Joe George works throughout the year with community organizations to get minority voters to the polls so that their voice is heard, work that he believes is hampered by the city’s new re-redistricting maps.
“I was hoping and we were hoping that the city would listen to the voters and the judge and the last thing I heard is that they’re going to appeal it. What I would like to see is for them not to appeal it," George said.
There are 14 districts in the city of Jacksonville. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim that the proposed redistricting map was drawn to keep the black vote majority in Northwest Jacksonville districts 7,8,9,10, weakening their power in other districts.
The lawsuit also claims some of the districts violate the Jacksonville’s charter requirement that the City Council draws districts that are “logical and compact”. Districts that have irregular shapes also have predominately black populations.
RELATED: Federal judge hears arguments over alleged racially gerrymandered redistricting maps in Jacksonville
“The council engaged in what’s known as ‘packing’ so instead of drawing district based on communities and drawing districts that allow residents of different backgrounds to have a fair an equitable influence, instead, the council over packed these 4 district and crammed together voters of a particular race," said Nick Seabrook, a Political Science Professor at UNF.
“They really need to go back and fundamentally re-think their approach and think about the way that they can both protect minority interest in the city but also draw districts that better represent Jacksonville’s community," Seabrook said.
Tuesday, the City Council President, Terrance E. Freeman, established the 2022 Special Committee on Redistricting. A media release states; The Committee, whose make-up including 7 members of City Council is charged with obtaining legally permissible considerations for redistricting in accordance with state, federal and case law as well as preparing a plan to be submitted to City Council on Friday, November 4, 2022 at a Special Council meeting.
The members who will serve on the Committee are:
- Council President, Terrance Freeman, Chair
- Council Member, Aaron Bowman, Co-Vice Chair
- Council Member Rory Diamond, Co-Vice Chair
- Council Member Nick Howland
- Council Member Sam Newby
- Council Member Ju-Coby Pittman
- Council Member Randy White
The 2022 Special Committee on Redistricting is expected to meet in a series of noticed public meetings. The notices will be posted following the established process on the City Council website.