Extension granted in lawsuit challenging local government for failure to redistrict by deadline

The Anderson City Council has been given more time to respond to a lawsuit filed against them for failing to draw new redistricting maps before the 2022 deadline. The council now has until Aug. 8 to respond to the lawsuit alleging its failure to redistrict is a violation of state and federal law.

The city council met in executive session last week, but had not yet decided which attorney would represent them.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by the League of Women Voters of Indiana, Common Cause Indiana, Anderson-Madison County NAACP and two individual voters.

These organizations have expressed concerns about the equity of voters under current Anderson district lines.

The law requires state, county and local governments to reassess their district lines to see if they are proportionate or need to be redrawn after the U.S. Census is taken every 10 years.

READ MORE: Lawsuit challenges local government for failure to redistrict before deadline

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The law does not require equal numbers of people in each district, but courts have often upheld that a 10 percent deviation in district population may be unconstitutional.

The current deviation in Anderson is 46 percent.

The plaintiffs are requesting city council members have their terms shortened and a special election held to fill these positions again.

Additionally, they are requesting a new districting plan with more equal

distribution.

Common Cause Indiana filed a similar lawsuit against the city of Gary earlier this year. The organization said it has seen many issues in redistricting and lack of oversight of this process.

Violet is our daily news reporter. Contact her at vcomberwilen@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @ComberWilen.

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