Hoosier State Today

In Indianapolis, Common Cause Indiana, the League of Women Voters of Indiana, and the Madison County NAACP have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in federal court. This legal action is part of their ongoing lawsuit against Anderson, Indiana's Common Council. The council failed to meet the redistricting deadline set by state law for December 31, 2022.

The lawsuit emerged due to significant population imbalances among current Anderson council districts. There is a reported 45% deviation between the largest and smallest districts. Courts generally find deviations over 10% to breach the constitutional principle of "one person, one vote."

The motion seeks a court order declaring these council districts unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. It calls for new district maps with equal populations and requests that terms for council members elected in 2023 be shortened. Additionally, it asks for a special election next year alongside state and federal elections.

Julia Vaughn from Common Cause Indiana stated: “The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment requires that all who participate in an election have an equal vote.” She emphasized that currently in Anderson, votes are unequal across districts: “Each vote cast in the most over-populated district, District 3, is only worth about two-thirds of a vote cast in District 4.”

Linda Hanson from the League of Women Voters noted: “The city of Anderson was one of only two second class cities that failed to complete redistricting last year.” She stressed that excuses are unacceptable and called for fair representation through new district maps.

Larry McClendon from Madison County NAACP remarked on the importance of fair representation: “Continuing to allow elections to be held under this malapportioned map sends the message to voters in this community that fair representation doesn’t matter.”