Judge tosses Miami’s voting map over racial gerrymandering

A federal judge in Florida tossed out Miami’s city district maps Wednesday, ruling that the city racially gerrymandered for decades, throwing the electoral future of the city into question.

A group of civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and NAACP, sued Miami in 2022, claiming its makeup of council districts illegally segregated residents because the city explicitly sorted districts by ethnic makeup.

Judge Michael Moore agreed in his ruling Wednesday.

“By sorting its citizens based on race, the City reduced Miamians to no more than their racial backgrounds, thereby denying them the equal protection of the laws that the Fourteenth Amendment promises,” Moore wrote.

The Miami Herald reported that during 2022 public hearings, city commissioners said they intended to make sure the commission would be made up of three Hispanic members, one Black member and one white member.

The next city elections are set for 2025, though the ruling opens the door to potential special elections after new maps are decided. Moore said he will set a date for plaintiffs and the city to meet and discuss next steps.

“Today is another win for democracy and equal representation,” Nicholas Warren, attorney at the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement. “Our Constitution protects against racial gerrymandering, which the city of Miami egregiously violated. We look forward to another remedial process that finally ensures voters can choose their representatives, rather than politicians choosing their voters.”