Author: Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday it has filed a lawsuit against Houston County, Georgia, to challenge the general election of the county’s board of commissioners, saying the process violates the rights of black voters.
The at-large method results in black citizens having fewer opportunities than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and choose candidates of their choice, which violates the Voting Rights Act, the Ministry of Justice said.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, seeks a court order enforcing the new method of selecting the board of commissioners, the Justice Department said.
“For example, by electing commissioners from fairly selected single-member districts rather than from the entire district, black voters would have an equal opportunity to elect a representative of their choice to the Board,” the Justice Department said.
Black residents make up more than 31% of the county’s voting population, the department said, adding that Houston County has elected only one black commissioner since the end of the Civil War.
Houston County is home to 163,000 people, and countywide elections fill each of its five commissioner seats.
The Houston County Board of Commissioners said the U.S. Department of Justice has notified the county of its years-long investigation and the two sides have been talking.
“If we agree with the DOJ regarding a possible violation of the Voting Rights Act after reviewing all documents and evidence, then we will take appropriate action,” the commissioners said in a statement cited by the NBC News affiliate.
Houston County commissioners criticized the timing of the Justice Department’s actions ahead of the arrival of a new administration next week in Washington, when Democratic President Joe Biden hands over to Republican President Donald Trump.
