In a significant legal development, a group of residents from Rapides Parish have filed a complaint against the City of Alexandria and the United States of America, alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act. The complaint was filed by Trayce Snow, Gerber M. Porter, and Agnes J. Francisco in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on June 7, 2024.
The plaintiffs claim that recent redistricting efforts by the City of Alexandria have been conducted improperly and in violation of both local laws and federal statutes. According to the complaint, following the decennial U.S. Census in October 2020, Alexandria was required to redraw its municipal district maps to ensure equal population distribution across districts. This process was completed with public input and resulted in Ordinance No. 153-2022 being enacted on September 6, 2022.
However, controversy arose when Councilwoman Elizabeth M. Felter pushed for an amendment to these district boundaries after discovering that her residence had been moved from District 4 to District 3 under the new map. Despite winning her election for District 4 in November 2022, Felter no longer resided within its boundaries as of January 1, 2023. Rather than challenging this through judicial means as required by law, Felter allegedly worked behind closed doors with other council members and the Rapides Area Planning Commission to redraw the maps again to place her residence back into District 4.
The plaintiffs argue that this move not only violated procedural guidelines but also resulted in significant demographic shifts that could affect future elections and resource allocation within the city. For instance, they highlight that Districts 2 and 4 now have significantly higher populations compared to District 3, which has become less diverse and smaller in size due to these changes.
"District 3 is now smaller with little diversity; smaller districts traditionally receive less capital funding for necessary improvements," states one part of the complaint. Furthermore, it alleges that Felter's actions were driven by personal gain rather than any legitimate need for redistricting: "THE HONORABLE ELIZABETH M. FELTER proposed to redraw the district maps for her individual preference, personal gain and political advantage."
The plaintiffs are seeking a court judgment declaring Ordinance No. 37-2024 invalid under the Voting Rights Act and demanding its rescission. They also call for additional relief measures deemed just by the court along with coverage of their legal costs.
Representing them is attorney Malcolm X. Larvadain from Alexandria-based Law Office of Malcolm X. Larvadain Inc., while Judge Terry A. Doughty will preside over Case ID:1:24-cv-00777-TAD-JPM.