JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Which candidates will be running for which seats in upcoming Jacksonville elections?
It's still very much in question as the City of Jacksonville and Duval County's Supervisor of Elections ask a federal appeals court to step in and block a judge's order from taking effect.
The city is asking the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to stop a map they don't like and prevent it from being used in the upcoming March city elections.
The city is asking the court of appeals to approve their remedial map for the upcoming march elections.
Jacksonville Tributary reporter, Andrew Pantazi, has been covering Jacksonville's redistricting process and says if the court grants the city's request it could actually turn the clock back farther.
"The status quo would actually be a decade old map that can't be used anymore because the population is out of whack." Pantazi said.
It's the second time the city has filed an appeal with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. It denied the first appeal after a federal judge approved a map created by local civil rights groups saying the city's map segregated black voters.
"We're very disappointed that city continues to do what they do as it relates to this particular case, we feel that we have done the right thing and we feel that our attorneys have represented us well," President of the NAACP Jacksonville Chapter, Isaiah Rumlin, said.
First Coast News spoke with Jacksonville city council member, Matt Carlucci, who said he disagrees with the council's decision to file an appeal saying the plaintiff's map is good and that it's time to move forward.
The city has just filed an additional motion asking the court to waive the 183-day residency requirement for candidates in the march election given district lines are not set in stone.
The plaintiffs filed a response saying they don't oppose waiving the residency requirement for Jacksonville's 14 districts but did not see a reason for the requirement to be waived for the at-large seats.
Duval County Supervisor of Elections has asked for a decision by Jan. 6 since qualifying for candidates starts Jan. 9.