REDISTRICTING SHAPES REPRESENTATION.

District lines determine which communities are grouped together to elect representatives.

In Mississippi, redistricting affects representation in the Legislature and can also affect judicial, congressional, county,

and other electoral districts.

Why redistricting matters in 2026 :

Mississippi is holding a public process concerning redistricting in 2026. The Joint Legislative Committee

on Reapportionment and Redistricting scheduled eight public hearings across the state, all beginning at 6 p.m., and the Legislature says the hearings are intended to receive public comments and suggestions.

The process is also occurring after major federal litigation concerning Section 2 of the V oting Rights Act

and the Supreme Court’s April 29, 2026 decision in Louisiana v. Callais.

What is Callais v. Landry?

In Louisiana v. Callais, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Louisiana’s congressional map violated the

Constitution because the State’s creation of an additional majority-Black district constituted an

unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The Court’s opinion also interpreted Section 2 of the Voting Rights

Act in a way that places significant limits on race-based districting and changes the legal framework for

redistricting claims.

For voters, the practical takeaway is that redistricting law now requires courts and map-drawers to

navigate two related constitutional and statutory constraints: districts cannot be drawn with race as the

predominant unconstitutional factor, while Section 2 continues to prohibit certain forms of racial

discrimination in voting.

What Callais means for Section 2 cases :

Traditional redistricting principles remain relevant, including compactness, contiguity, and the

integrity of political subdivisions.

Courts must distinguish racial effects from effects that may be explained by partisanship or other

nonracial considerations.

Evidence about the relationship between race and voting behavior can become especially

important where race and party affiliation overlap.

The decision makes some Section 2 vote-dilution claims more difficult to prove and changes the

framework courts use when evaluating redistricting challenges.

Case 1:

Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP v. State Board of Election Commissioners

This federal litigation challenged Mississippi’s post-2020 Census House and Senate maps under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. A federal court previously found Section 2 violations and ordered remedial districts. Those remedial districts were used for special elections in 2025. On May 18, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the judgment and remanded the case for further consideration in light of Louisiana v. Callais. The case therefore remains important to Mississippi’s legislative districting because the lower court must reconsider the Section 2 claims under the legal framework announced in Callais.

Case 2:

White v. State Board of Election Commissioners

White challenges Mississippi’s Supreme Court electoral districts, alleging that the districts dilute Black voting strength in violation of Section 2 and the Constitution. In August 2025, the federal district court concluded that the current Mississippi Supreme Court electoral map violated Section 2 and granted declaratory and injunctive relief. The litigation was stayed while appellate and Supreme Court proceedings developed. Following Callais, the federal court’s remedial process was affected, and the case continues under the changed legal landscape. These districts matter beyond Supreme Court elections: the same judicial district structure is also connected to elections for other statewide judicially elected offices.

Case 3:

Harris v. DeSoto County

Harris v. DeSoto County challenged the county’s district map under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The plaintiffs argued that the map diluted Black voting strength. On June 24, 2026, the federal district court ruled for DeSoto County, concluding that the plaintiffs had not provided sufficient evidence to establish their Section 2 vote-dilution claim. The decision is an early Mississippi example of a federal court applying the post-Callais legal framework.

Why these cases matter :

Together, these cases show how a single U.S. Supreme Court decision can affect redistricting litigation at the state, judicial, and local levels.

They also demonstrate why the 2026 map-drawing process should be

accompanied by clear public information about the legal standards, evidence, communities affected, and proposed district boundaries.

Date	Time	Location	Venue / Address
August 18, 2026	6 p.m.	Tupelo / Belden	Itawamba Community College, Belden Conference Center, 3200 Adams Farm Rd, Belden, MS 38826
August 27, 2026	6 p.m.	Southaven	Northwest MS Community College, Ranger Center Conference Room 107–109, 1210 Church Rd., Southaven, MS 38671
September 1, 2026	6 p.m.	Cleveland	Delta State University, Bologna Performing Arts Center (BPAC), 1003 West Sunflower Road, Cleveland, MS 38733
September 8, 2026	6 p.m.	Natchez	Alcorn State University, MBA Building Auditorium on the Natchez ASU Campus, 15 Campus Dr, Natchez, MS 39120
September 10, 2026	6 p.m.	Meridian	Meridian Community College, McCain Theater, 910 Highway 19 North, Meridian, MS 39307
September 17, 2026	6 p.m.	Hattiesburg	University of Southern Mississippi, Mannoni Performing Arts Center, 3057 Hardy St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401
September 22, 2026	6 p.m.	Biloxi / Gulf Coast	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Hospitality and Resort Management Center, 420 Debuys Road, Biloxi, MS 39531
October 1, 2026	6 p.m.	Jackson	Mississippi Legislature, New Capitol, 400 High Street, Jackson, MS 39201

If you attend a hearing :

Consider speaking about your community and the people who live there. Explain which towns,

neighborhoods, schools, churches, roads, workplaces, or other institutions connect your community. If

proposed or current district boundaries divide a community that functions together, describe where and

how.

State where you live and identify the community you are describing.
Describe the relationships and institutions that connect your community.
Explain whether current district lines keep your community together or split it.
Use specific places and examples.
Bring a map or other supporting information if helpful.

The goal of public participation is to provide decision-makers with information about the communities

affected by district boundaries.