U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland
The DOJ said the maps were drawn with “discriminatory intent” and that the filing Monday is based on the determination that the 2021 redistricting plan violates section two of the Voting Rights Act.
Last month, Garland sued Texas in a separate lawsuit over new voting laws passed over the summer by the state legislature. The lawsuit targets provisions surrounding mail-in voting requirements and voter assistance outlined in the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act but does not challenge the entirety of the sweeping legislation signed in September.
The DOJ said the complaint contends that Texas SB1 violates Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act “by improperly restricting what assistance in the polling booth voters who have a disability or are unable to read or write can receive. The complaint alleges that SB1 harms those voters by barring their assistors from providing necessary help, including answering basic questions, responding to requests to clarify ballot translations or confirming that voters with visual impairments have marked a ballot as intended.”
Navy Vet
Article URL : https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/coming-up-doj-announces-voting-rights-enforcement-action/2832144/