"A state judge in Manhattan ruled Wednesday that the boundaries of one of New York City's U.S. House districts are unconstitutional, potentially kicking off a process in which a state panel redraws the state's congressional map. State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman sided with Democratic lawyers who said the lines of U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis' district unlawfully diluted the voices of Black and Latino voters in Staten Island."
"He ordered the New York Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the district boundary lines by Feb. 6. He also barred any election from taking effect until the lines are redrawn. The 11th Congressional District currently encompasses Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. The plaintiffs in the case are voters from Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, part of the nearby 10th Congressional District, who have said they've been disenfranchised."
""This decision affirms what the New York Constitution requires: district lines cannot be drawn in a way that locks communities out of political power," Alexander said. "We urge the Independent Redistricting Commission to act swiftly to deliver a map that reflects Staten Island's lived reality and gives every voter a fair chance to be heard.""
State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ruled that the boundaries of a Manhattan-area U.S. House district are unconstitutional for unlawfully diluting Black and Latino voters' voices in Staten Island. He ordered the New York Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the district lines by Feb. 6 and barred any election from taking effect until new lines are adopted. The 11th District covers Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. Plaintiffs are voters from Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, represented by Marc Elias; the NAACP New York State Conference joined the case. Republicans and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis sought dismissal and are reviewing options.
Read at Gothamist
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