On September 5, a 3-judge U.S. District Court in Alabama struck down the state’s new U.S. House redistricting plan. The state then asked for a stay. Now the voter-plaintiffs who won the case have filed a brief explaining why the court should not stay its own opinion. Singleton v Allen, n.d., 2:21cv-1291.

The brief argues that the map proposed by the voter-plaintiffs is not a “racial gerrymander” because it conforms to the traditional characteristics of an acceptable plan, plus having the virtue of promoting fair representation for Black voters.

It is extremely likely that the U.S. District Court will not stay its own decision. At that point the state will ask the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay.

Whether you agree or disagree (and I largely agree) with the content of this excerpt of the book “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point,” by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, which will be released on September 12, 2023, you will probably learn a lot about the US and other democracies of the world. I highly recommend this article.

On September 6, the Democratic nominee for Mississippi Secretary of State, Shuwaski Young, withdrew from the race, citing health problems. Also on September 6, state election officials said the party is free to substitute a new nominee, even though the election is only two months away. On September 7 the Democratic Party chose a replacement, Ty Pinkins.

Mississippi election law doesn’t have a deadline for a party to replace a nominee. The election is November 7, 2023. Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana are the three states electing governors this year.