JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors have been slapped with a federal lawsuit. It was filed on behalf of the Hinds County Republican Party and one of their own, Supervisor Phil Fisher.
Fisher says their redistricting plan broke state and federal law. Phil Fisher was the only Hinds County supervisor to vote against the redistricting plan.
The Justice Department has already approved it, but now he's taking legal action.
Supervisor Fisher says he's against the redistricting plan because new district lines split up neighborhoods like Belhaven.
"Each county has issues, that effect it that they want to make sure they have one voice speaking for them all and these communities of interest, I think in some cases were violated, and I want that corrected," said Fisher.
Board president Robert Graham says the new district lines won't change where people vote, and he believes this is just an attempt by Republicans to keep Democrats out of the polls.
"I think it's being used to confuse the voter, to confuse the voter in a year we're going to elect the President of the United States," says Graham.
Graham says the only change will be at five precincts where election commissioner candidates have shifted. Fisher says that's where the confusion is.
"We believe that instead of moving a number of precincts around that we could have moved only two precincts around and instead of affecting many, many, many thousands of people we could have only affected a few, a very few thousand," said Fisher.
The Justice Department approved the redistricting plan July 16.
Phil Fisher says it is not his intention to stop the November election. He's asked the court for a speedy response to his suit.
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