Opinion ID: 773533
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Gingles Threshold Inquiry

Text: 13 To meet the threshold Gingles inquiry, a minority group challenging an electoral mechanism must prove three elements by a preponderance of the evidence. Id. First, it must demonstrate that it is sufficiently large and geographically compact to constitute a voting age majority in a district. Second, the minority group must show that it is politically cohesive. Third, the minority group must demonstrate that the majority votes sufficiently as a bloc to enable it, in the absence of special circumstances, usually to defeat the minority group's preferred candidate. Gingles, 478 U.S. at 50-51; Growe v. Emison, 507 U.S. 25, 40, 113 S. Ct. 1075, 122 L. Ed. 2d 388 (1993)(finding the three Gingles prerequisites applicable to vote dilution claims in single-member districts). 14 Wilson relies on 1990 decennial census data in configuring three proposed African-American majority voting age population districts. Each of these plans creates a new westernmost district along the Mississippi River with 50.66%, 52.66%, and 50.12% African-American voting age populations respectively. The district court found that these proposed districts satisfy Wilson's burden under the first Gingles precondition. See Westwego Citizens for Better Gov't v. City of Westwego, 946 F.2d 1109, 1117 & n.9 (5th Cir. 1991). Fordice, however, takes issue with this finding and avers that the proposed districts, which were drafted using 1990 census data, have population deviations in excess of the de minimis limits placed on judicial redistricting plans. Based on data from the 1997 and 1998 census estimates, Fordice alternatively asserts that, at the time of trial, Wilson's proffered districts contained excessive population deviations in violation of the constitutional one person, one vote requirement. 15 These arguments reflect the perplexing issues the district court faced regarding the standard of deviation applicable to satisfy the Constitution's one person, one vote mandate when a voting rights plaintiff submits proposed redistricting plans as well as whether census estimates are adequate to clearly and convincingly rebut the presumptive correctness of decennial census data. We need not, however, resolve these intricate questions on this record. Even assuming arguendo that Wilson satisfied his burden under the first Gingles prerequisite, we are convinced by a detailed review of the record that the trial court correctly determined Wilson's failure to preponderate on the totality of the circumstances factors. We explain in more detail our affirmation of the district court's judgment.