The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland and the Baltimore County Branch of the NAACP delivered on their threat Tuesday to sue the Baltimore County Council over its redistricting plan.
The suit, filed in the United States District Court in Baltimore, claims the plan violates the Voting Rights Act by packing too many Black voters into one district, diluting the Black vote countywide.
The redistricting map, passed unanimously Monday night, has one district that is more than 70% black.
The lawsuit argues there should be two Black majority districts because Baltimore County’s population is about 30% Black. Ericka McDonald, the co-president of the League of Women Voters of Baltimore County which joined the suit, said there is no reason to put so many Black voters into one district.
