Texas county where Juneteenth began ordered to redraw maps after Voting Rights Act challenge

By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has ruled that county political maps in the home of Juneteenth discriminate against Black and Latino residents. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown on Friday order Galveston County to redraw the maps. The ruling adds to victories voting rights groups have notched in the South this year over maps that Black voters say dilute their political power. Brown, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, ruled that Galveston County leaders redrew local political districts in a way that violated the federal Voting Rights Act. Black and Latino residents make up about 38% of the county’s eligible voters. Many of them live in a precinct that was dismantled by the new maps.