Dwight v. Raffensperger
A challenge to Georgia’s 2011 congressional plan brought by four African-American voters contends the map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Note: The Brennan Center is not a participant in this case.
Case Background
Individual African-American Georgia voters allege that the state’s 2011 congressional plan violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The suit argues that instead of creating an additional majority-minority district in response to the significant minority population growth between 2000–2010, the legislature cracked “politically cohesive and geographically compact” African-American communities in and around the Twelfth Congressional District to minimize their political influence. In doing so, the map, the plaintiffs allege, dilutes African-American voting strength and has the effect of denying African Americans the equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the plan violates Section 2 of the VRA, enjoin the state from using the map for future elections, and order the state to adopt a new plan that complies with Section 2 of the VRA, including creation of a district in southeastern Georgia where African Americans have the opportunity to elect their preferred candidates.
On March 25, 2020, the court denied all motions for summary judgment as moot “pending oral argument.” On April 13, 2020, the parties filed a joint stipulation of dismissal, which the court granted on April 14.
Documents
District Court
- Complaint (June 13, 2018)
- Motion to Dismiss (July 5, 2018)
- First Amended Complaint (July 13, 2018)
- Defendant’s Answer to Plaintiff’s First Amendment Complaint (August 3, 2018)
- Order Denying as Moot Motion to Dismiss (August 9, 2018)
- Defendants’ Expert Disclosures (January 25, 2019)
- Supplemental Expert Report of Gina H. Wright (March 19, 2019)
- Stipulation of Voluntary Dismissal of Plaintiff Hudman S. Evans (March 29, 2019)
- Motion for Summary Judgment (May 1, 2019)
- Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (May 1, 2019)
- Georgia Secretary of State’s Brief in Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (May 29, 2019)
- Plaintiffs’ Brief in Opposition to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (May 29, 2019)
- Georgia Secretary of State’s Reply Brief in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment (June 20, 2019)
- Plaintiffs’ Reply Brief in Support of Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (June 20, 2019)
- Order (March 25, 2020)
- Stipulation of Dismissal (April 13, 2020)