The U.S. Justice Department has approved the newHouse of Delegates and state Senate districts drawn up by the General Assembly this spring.
Friday's approval means that all redrawn districts can be used in the upcoming primaries and November general elections.
Approval came on the 37th day after the attorney general's office submitted the redistricting plans to theJustice Department.
"We have believed from the beginning of this process that Virginia complied with all legal and constitutional requirements in adopting the new lines, and the decision of the Department of Justice simply confirms that belief," Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said.
Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, either the Justice Department or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia must approve Virginia's plan. Virginia is one of 16 states that fall under the act because of a history of racial discrimination.
No comments:
Post a Comment