Nassau County Racial Gerrymandering Case Goes to Trial

As national voter disenfranchisement efforts surge, advocates defend the electoral power of Long Island’s communities of color

WHITE PLAINS, NY – Today, the legal challenge mounted by New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Steptoe LLP, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) against Nassau County over the Legislature’s redistricting plan began trial in New York State Supreme & County Court. 

The plaintiffs — New York Communities for Change and a group of voters of color in Nassau County — contend that the Legislature’s redistricting plan violates the landmark John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA) and the New York Municipal Home Rule Law by diluting the voting strength and political influence of Black, Latino, and Asian residents.

“Nassau is a deeply segregated county and people of color here have been discriminated against, ignored, and treated unfairly for generations,” said William Bailey, Senior Director of New York Communities for Change, a plaintiff in the case. “We’re asking the court to ensure that our votes count as much as any other Nassau County voter — because we all deserve a fair opportunity to elect people that truly represent us in the legislature.”

“The Nassau County Legislature is flagrantly trying to disenfranchise communities of color and gut legal protections for their voting rights,” said Perry Grossman, Director of the Voting Rights Project at the New York Civil Liberties Union. “The New York Voting Rights Act is one the strongest, most comprehensive voting rights laws in the nation — and we are going to use every tool secured to fight discrimination and uphold each Nassau voters’ right to fair, equitable representation. Every New Yorker deserves an equal opportunity at the ballot box.” 

“Through an unlawful, secretive process, the Nassau County legislature passed a map that attempts to drown out the voices of Nassau County’s communities of color,” said Michael Scavelli, partner at Steptoe LLP and co-lead counsel on the matter. “We are proud to stand with our clients and partners to fight for fairness and accountability in our electoral system.  We look forward to telling our clients’ stories and proving their case.”

“What we had in Nassau was a process conducted in the shadows mired with inconsistency and unfairness,” said Cesar Ruiz, associate counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF.  “Today’s trial represents an opportunity to center community, to right the wrongs of the past and give hope to Nassau’s Black, Latino, and Asian residents. Our maps won’t be gerrymandered, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF won’t stop fighting for a better tomorrow.”

“Nassau County is home to nearly 1.5 million people of different races and backgrounds,” said Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux, deputy director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. “Their redistricting process should have reflected this, but instead, the Legislature chose to ignore communities of color and undermine their voting power. We look forward to holding the commission accountable and ensuring better representation for Nassau County voters.”

“Nassau County’s Asian American community has grown rapidly, especially in the Greater New Hyde Park area, but discriminatory district lines have watered down this community’s voting strength and influence in local elections,” said Bethany Li, executive director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). “The New York Voting Rights Act (NYVRA) protects against this discrimination. We are committed to harnessing the full promise of the NYVRA to demand a fair and representative map that ensures the equal participation of all voters—including Asian American voters.” 

Though residents of color make up over one-third of Nassau County’s eligible voters, the current map — which the Legislature drew behind closed doors with minimal public transparency — only creates 4 districts out of 19 where Black, Latino, and Asian residents constitute a majority of eligible voters. This includes “cracking and packing” communities of color in places such as Lakeview, Freeport, Inwood,  Valley Stream, Elmont, Hempstead, Uniondale, and New Hyde Park.  

Nassau County’s Asian population rose almost 60 percent in the last decade but the map unnecessarily divides this large and fast-growing community, denying Asian voters the opportunity to influence the outcome of elections.

A more representative map would include at least six districts where Black, Latino, and Asian residents constitute a majority of the citizen voting-age population, as well as a district that prevents the dilution of Asian voting influence.

The trial is expected to last through Friday, then pause and reconvene on Jan. 6th through Jan. 10th. It will take place at New York State Supreme & County Court, located at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in White Plains, New York. During the trial, there will be testimony from the plaintiffs as well as experts on redistricting, voting patterns, and the social and historical conditions of Nassau County. 

This follows the New York State Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the NYVRA in an order following oral arguments last week. 

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