Most county officials in Mississippi do not expect to redistrict before the 2027 elections, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Callais v. Louisiana that declared racial gerrymandering unconstitutional under the Voting Rights Act.
The ruling raised the legal threshold for proving violations of the act, which had previously prioritized Black voting age populations when drawing districts. Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, local governments have often hired consultants to ensure compliance with these standards, especially in creating majority-minority districts.
Governor Tate Reeves is expected to call a special legislative session this fall to address redistricting of state House and Senate districts before the Jan. 2, 2027, candidate qualifying deadline. Lawmakers might also revisit congressional and judicial districts during the 2027 legislative session.
However, county officials interviewed by Magnolia Tribune indicated little interest in revisiting district boundaries at the county level. Jackson County Administrator Brian Fulton said the Board of Supervisors has not discussed redistricting following the Callais ruling. Similarly, Lowndes County Administrator James Fisher noted there is no requirement to redistrict before the next Census, and Madison County officials expressed a policy of complying with all court decisions while leaving future redistricting decisions to the board.
Other county officials, including Rankin County’s attorney, declined to comment on potential redistricting plans. Overall, county-level districts are expected to remain unchanged, despite the federal ruling calling into question the legality of race-based district drawing practices used for over six decades.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
