Federal judge rules Anderson council districts are unconstitutional, orders redrawn maps

This week, a federal judge ruled the Anderson City Council’s current district maps are unconstitutional and must be redrawn.  The “summary judgement” brings a resolution to a lawsuit filed last year by voting rights groups.

The lawsuit was filed by Common Cause Indiana, the League of Women Voters of Indiana, the Madison County NAACP and individual voters.  The organizations say Anderson hadn’t redrawn districts since 1982 and should have done so after the 2020 Census data showed large population shifts, making the districts unequal.

The deadline for redistricting under state law was Dec. 31, 2022.  The organizations filed the lawsuit in June 2023.  In 2024, it asked for a partial summary judgement– a decision based on evidence and statements without a full trial.

The groups have said the statistical deviation between the smallest and largest current districts in the Anderson Council is 45 percent, with other court cases previously ruling 10 percent violates the “one person, one vote” idea.

In a motion, Judge James R. Sweeney II agrees the city council’s districts violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.  The decision requires Anderson to “correct this ongoing violation.”

In June, the city council approved new maps for the city’s six districts.  At the time, the council and its lawyer declined to answer any questions about the process or timeline to fully approve the new districts.

In a statement, Linda Hanson, president of the League of Women Voters of Indiana, said, “Redistricting is crucial to guaranteeing that our communities get the essential services and support they need from our government. When elected officials fail to redistrict properly, residents are stripped of equal representation. This decision is a welcome step forward to restore voters’ constitutional rights to fair representation on their city council.”

Seats for the Anderson City Council are next up for election in 2027.

Violet Comber-Wilen and Thomas Ouellette contributed reporting.

Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host.  Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.