Lawsuit challenges Illinois Voting Rights Act over race-based district boundaries
A lawsuit was filed against Illinois on 8 May 2023 to challenge the state’s use of race in drawing district boundaries. The case was brought by the Public Interest Legal Foundation on behalf of Jeanne Ives, a former Republican state lawmaker. She claims her voting rights have been restricted by the Illinois Voting Rights Act (VRA). The lawsuit argues the Illinois VRA forces lawmakers to consider race when creating legislative districts. It does not ask for the current maps to be redrawn but seeks a ruling that the Illinois VRA is unconstitutional and should not be used in the future. The filing also states the practice violates the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act.
On the same day, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Callais v Louisiana that states cannot use race to draw legislative districts. The decision also confirmed that racial minorities do not have a right to elect representatives of the same race. Illinois Democrats, including Governor JB Pritzker, have been accused in the lawsuit of intentionally drawing boundaries to discriminate based on race.
Earlier efforts by Illinois Democrats to pass a new version of the Illinois VRA or embed race-based districting rules in the state constitution failed in the state Senate. The state has not yet responded to the lawsuit. The case targets the Illinois VRA and its reliance on race in districting. A ruling against the law could prevent its future application. The state’s response to the legal challenge is still pending.
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