petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to grant ... - Election Law Blog
petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to grant ... - Election Law Blog
petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to grant ... - Election Law Blog
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17aAppendix Dprocesses leading <strong>to</strong> nomination or electionin <strong>the</strong> State or political subdivision are notequally open <strong>to</strong> participation by members ofa class of citizens protected by subsection(a) of this section in that its members haveless opportunity than o<strong>the</strong>r members of <strong>the</strong>elec<strong>to</strong>rate <strong>to</strong> participate in <strong>the</strong> political processand <strong>to</strong> elect representatives of <strong>the</strong>ir choice.The extent <strong>to</strong> which members of a protectedclass have been elected <strong>to</strong> office in <strong>the</strong> State orpolitical subdivision is one circumstance whichmay be considered: Provided, That nothing inthis section establishes a right <strong>to</strong> have membersof a protected class elected in numbers equal<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir proportion in <strong>the</strong> population.B. Gingles RequirementsIn Thornburg v. Gingles, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Supreme</strong> <strong>Court</strong> identifiedthree threshold conditions for establishing a § 2 violation:(1) <strong>the</strong> minority group is sufficiently large andgeographically compact <strong>to</strong> constitute a majorityin a single member district;(2) <strong>the</strong> minority group is politically cohesive;and(3) <strong>the</strong> majority votes sufficiently as a bloc <strong>to</strong>enable it, in <strong>the</strong> absence of special circumstances,usually <strong>to</strong> defeat <strong>the</strong> minority group’s preferredcandidate.