Federal appeals court temporarily pauses change to city of Miami voting map
A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked a new voting map from being used in the city of Miami’s elections in November.
There will be at least a few more days before there is clarity on where boundaries are drawn between the city of Miami’s five commission districts — a voting map that will impact who will vote and run in upcoming city elections.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit agreed to a temporary stay on a federal trial judge’s decision to mandate a new voting map be implemented on Monday, before an Aug. 1 deadline set by the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.
U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore had ordered the Miami to adopt a map drawn by community groups represented by attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union. The groups are suing the city over district boundaries approved in 2022, arguing that commissioners approved an unconstitutional, racially gerrymandered map.
After Moore’s order, the city’s attorneys rushed to block the new voting map. Moore quickly rejected the city’s emergency motion Monday at the trial court. The appeals court in Atlanta granted the same motion late Monday, hours before the city’s midnight deadline to adopt the new district boundaries.
The stay allows the city to hold off on adopting the new map.
“The City is pleased with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals acting swiftly to review Judge Moore’s order,” said City Attorney Victoria Méndez, in a statement late Monday.
Now, the advocacy groups and the ACLU have to respond to the city’s arguments by 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The county elections department had set the Aug. 1 deadline to ensure staffers could properly assign voters to polling locations.
In addition to affecting elections in districts 1, 2 and 4 this year, the final map could have a major impact on District 3 Commissioner Joe Carollo and the city requirement that he live inside his district.
Under the 2022 map, which Carollo supported, the boundaries were shifted in a way that meant Carollo’s Coconut Grove home was now in District 3 instead of District 2. Carollo moved into that home this year.
The plaintiffs’ preferred redistricting plan, which the judge mandated, does not include Carollo’s home in District 3.
Méndez said the matter is on hold for now after the appeals court paused the process, and she suggested Carollo would have a legal case for staying in his home.
“The Commissioner was elected until 2025, Méndez wrote. “Moreover, fairness dictates that he remains the Commissioner of the district until such time, regardless of redistricting and based on case law.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2023 at 9:31 PM.
