Jan 31, 2025 Story by: Publisher
A New York appeals court overturned a lower court ruling on Thursday, January 30, that had struck down a state voting rights law aimed at safeguarding the political representation of minority groups.
The Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court in New York City ruled in favor of allowing a lawsuit filed by six Black and Hispanic voters against the Town of Newburgh in the Hudson Valley to move forward. Additionally, the court determined that the trial judge exceeded her authority in November by invalidating the entire New York Voting Rights Act of 2022.
“We are pleased, though not surprised, that the Appellate panel upheld the constitutionality of the New York State John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act and allowed the Newburgh residents who have been shut out of their city’s at-large electoral system to seek a fair shot at choosing candidates to represent them,” said David Imamura, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, in a statement.
The lawsuit contends that the “at-large” election system for town board members in the predominantly white town has hindered Black and Hispanic residents from electing their preferred candidates, effectively weakening their voting power. The plaintiffs are urging the court to replace this system with a district-based election method for board members in the town, which lies about 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of New York City.
Filed under New York’s Voting Rights Act, the lawsuit utilizes the law’s provision that allows voters to challenge at-large elections on racial or ethnic discrimination grounds.
In November, Orange County State Court Justice Maria Vazquez-Doles ruled that part of the law violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
However, in the 4-0 appellate court decision, Justice Hector LaSalle stated that attorneys for Newburgh “failed to establish as a matter of law that compliance with the vote dilution provisions” of the law would require them to violate the equal protection clause.
A request for comment was sent to an attorney representing Newburgh.
The lawsuit, initiated in March, is among at least four legal challenges filed under New York’s Voting Rights Act. State Attorney General Letitia James, whose legal team defended the constitutionality of the law, welcomed the court’s decision.
“Our democracy thrives when all voters, regardless of their background, can make their voices heard at the ballot box,” the Democrat said in a statement. Source: US News
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