Cord Byrd

The lawsuit says the Legislature’s plan to connect Black populations in the two counties in District 16 “sacrificed genuine communities of interest” and stripped them from adjacent District 18, reducing their influence there.

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker denied the request from attorneys for Secretary of State Cord Byrd in a lawsuit challenging the 2023 law.

Voting-rights groups and others asked the court to take up the case, which centers on a North Florida district that in the past elected Black Democrat Al Lawson but was overhauled during an April 2022 special legislative session.

Secretary of State Cord Byrd outlined $3.15 million for the Office of Election Crimes and Security, which was created last year and is staffed by five people.

Voting-rights groups say the law was intended to restrict minority voters’ access to the ballot.

The U.S. Department of State recently announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on foreign interference in elections.