A judge decided that Miami’s voting maps were drawn unfairly because they focused too much on race. The maps were made in 2022, and groups like Grove Rights and Community Equity Inc. and two local NAACP chapters didn’t think they were right.
Gerrymandering means changing voting areas to help one group or party unfairly. The judge said Miami did this by making sure there were specific numbers of Hispanic, Black, and ‘Anglo’ (White) people in each district.
Miami’s city council, called the Miami City Commission, has five members. Each of them is chosen from different areas where they live.
The judge said the city thought this plan would make sure there was racial diversity among the council members for a long time. But he decided it was wrong to divide people by race like this. He said this kind of dividing hurts everyone.
The judge didn’t just talk about Miami’s situation. He mentioned a Supreme Court case from 1995 where the court said it’s wrong to think all people of the same race will vote the same way. He said Miami’s plan went against this idea.
In his decision, the judge said Miami has to pay $1 to each of the groups that complained. But he didn’t say if there would be new elections. Instead, he wants to talk more about what to do next.
Miami’s spokesperson said they got the judge’s decision and are thinking about what to do next. They didn’t say if they would challenge the decision in a higher court.