ACLU Lawsuit Alleges Ga. Board of Education Disenfranchised Black Voters in School Board Selection Process

A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in Georgia alleges that the Crisp County Board of Education and the county election supervisor violated Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act by denying black voters an equal opportunity to participate in the political process through its at-large method of electing Board of Education members.

WFXL reports that ACLU of Georgia Executive Director Andrea Young said the following in a released statement:

Some of the most consequential decisions that affect people’s daily lives are made by local school board members, and all voters should have an equal opportunity to have a voice in that process. The Board of Education’s at-large voting method puts black voters at a disadvantage by diluting the power of their vote and discouraging them from running for office. This must change to ensure all voters have an equal opportunity to be represented.

The suit asks the court to strike down the current at-large voting method used by the board and to prevent any further elections until a redistricting plan that complies with the Voting Rights Act is adopted. The suit asks that six single-member districts be created in which each board member is elected by a single district of Crisp County, thereby ensuring that black people have an equal opportunity to both participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice.

Read more at WFXL.