A state judge has invalidated a New York law intended to make it easier for residents to sue over electoral divisions and voting practices that might weaken the political representation of minority groups. The ruling, issued by Orange County state court Justice Maria Vazquez-Doles, found that providing special protections based on race and ethnicity under the law is unconstitutional.
Justice Vazquez-Doles’ decision, delivered on Thursday, also dismissed a lawsuit from six Black and Hispanic voters in Newburgh, New York, who challenged the town’s “at-large” board election system. They argued that the system in the majority-white town limited Black and Hispanic residents’ ability to elect candidates who represented them. The plaintiffs sought to have board members elected by district in Newburgh, which is located around 60 miles north of New York City.
