密西西比州立法部门已正式启动选区重划程序。[1]州联合选区重划与重新划分委员会于8月12日召开首次会议，[1]共和党参议员迪安·柯比当选委员会主席，共和党众议员诺亚·桑福德任副主席。[1]此举前景受到美国最高法院路易斯安那诉卡莱斯判决的影响，该判决削弱了少数族裔投票保护。[1]
委员会计划于8月18日至9月24日期间在州内八个地区举行听证会，[1]以广泛征求选民对立法区、国会区及司法区重划的意见。与此同时，共和党人士包括州审计员谢德·怀特等已呼吁解散民主党众议员贝尼·汤普森所在的选区。[1]
投票权倡导组织对此过程持谨慎态度。公平战斗行动南方主管阿米尔·巴达特表示这一过程是"给猪涂口红"，[1]暗示重划可能旨在削弱少数族裔政治权力。民主党联邦参议员安杰拉·阿尔索布鲁克斯敦促密西西比州民众"坚持不懈地继续争取"。[1]
Mississippi's Joint Committee on Redistricting and Reapportionment held its first meeting to initiate a redrawing of the state's legislative and congressional districts following a significant Supreme Court decision.[1] The committee, chaired by Republican State Senator Dean Kirby with Republican State Representative Noah Sanford serving as vice chair, plans to conduct eight public hearings across the state between August 18 and September 24, 2024, to solicit voter input on the redistricting process.[1]
The redistricting effort comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling, which weakened protections for minority voting rights.[1] Republican state officials, including State Auditor Shad White, have called for dissolving the congressional district represented by Democratic U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson.[1] Voting rights advocates have raised concerns about the process, with Amir Bader, Southern director of the voting rights organization Fair Fight Action, characterizing the redistricting effort as "putting lipstick on a pig."[1] Democratic U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks has urged Mississippi residents to "persist in fighting" throughout the process.[1]