Judge orders special elections for Mississippi Supreme Court after Voting Rights Act violation
Source: ABC News/AP
December 19, 2025, 5:38 PM
JACKSON, Miss. -- A judge on Friday ordered special elections for the Mississippi Supreme Court after earlier finding that the electoral map used to select justices violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock in August ordered Mississippi to redraw the map, which was enacted in 1987, concluding the current configuration dilutes the power of Black voters. The Friday ruling gives the Mississippi Legislature until the end of its 2026 regular session to redraw the map.
Section 2, which is the primary way plaintiffs can push back against racially discriminatory election practices, is currently being challenged at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Once the legislature approves a new map, Aycock wrote that she will move quickly to meet any deadlines necessary to hold the special elections in November 2026. Aycock also wrote that she will defer deciding which seats will be subject to a special election until after the new map has been adopted.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-orders-special-elections-mississippi-supreme-court-after-128570303