The Michigan Supreme Court on Thursday denied a request by the Detroit legislative caucus to redraw Michigan's new voting maps, finding the caucus didn't prove the decrease in majority-minority districts violated federal protections for minority voters.
The 4-3 decision noted that expert analysis showed White crossover voting made it possible to elect a preferred minority candidate even without a majority-minority district.
"This evidence of White crossover voting — unrebutted by plaintiffs' expert — reinforces our conclusion that plaintiffs have not made the threshold showing of White bloc voting," that would trigger the need for majority-minority districts, according to the court's majority that included Justices Bridget McCormack, Beth Clement, Megan Cavanagh and Elizabeth Welch.
