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SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE
Cambodian Americans celebrate the Lunar New Year in Lowell, Massachusetts. |
ASAM NEWS
A coalition of Latino and Asian American voters has reached a settlement with the city of Lowell, Massachusetts that, if approved by the judge, would require the city to change its electoral system by the year 2021, reports Sampan News.
“Today’s agreement is a great victory for Lowell’s communities of color, and for all of Lowell’s residents,” said Oren M. Sellstrom, Litigation Director with Lawyers for Civil Rights, representing the plaintiffs.
While nearly half of Lowell’s population are people of color, its city council and school committee are overwhelmingly White.
While nearly half of Lowell’s population are people of color, its city council and school committee are overwhelmingly White.
Lowell is home to the second largest community of Cambodian Americans living in the United States. About a third of the city’s population is of Southeast Asian descent;
Latino and Asian American voters responded by forming a coalition to bring the lawsuit in 2017, contending that they were not being fairly represented. This was the first time that Latino and Asian Americans have teamed up in a voting rights lawsuit, according to WGBH News.
The settlement states that starting in 2021, municipal elections in Lowell will be barred from using its current at-large electoral system. There are six possible alternatives that Lowell may adopt, including a purely district-based system, several hybrid options that combine district and at-large seats, and at-large ranked-choice voting.
The settlement states that starting in 2021, municipal elections in Lowell will be barred from using its current at-large electoral system. There are six possible alternatives that Lowell may adopt, including a purely district-based system, several hybrid options that combine district and at-large seats, and at-large ranked-choice voting.
The city will hold a series of public meetings about the six options. Two will be chosen this November by the current city council to be on a ballot for a non-binding vote, and the city council will make the final choice in December.
While the city gets the final say, both sides say all of the options are fair and more equitable than the current system.
In an interview with WGBH News, Sellstrom said that this is unique for voting rights lawsuits like this, which are often negotiated behind closed doors. “I think there are going to be many jurisdictions that are going to be looking to Lowell and the resolution of this lawsuit as a model and as a blueprint for how other resolutions can occur.”
“Lowell’s communities of color and their allies banded together to seek a more fair electoral system,” Denisse Collazo, one of the Latino plaintiffs, said to Sampan. An Asian American plaintiff also spoke with the newspaper.
“One of Lowell’s great strengths is its diversity,” said Tooch Van, one of the Asian American plaintiffs. “Today’s agreement will help ensure that this diversity is reflected in our elected bodies as well. That will make our City stronger.”
The resolution of this lawsuit is subject to the approval of Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. If approved, the public meetings to educate residents of the law can get underway.
In an interview with WGBH News, Sellstrom said that this is unique for voting rights lawsuits like this, which are often negotiated behind closed doors. “I think there are going to be many jurisdictions that are going to be looking to Lowell and the resolution of this lawsuit as a model and as a blueprint for how other resolutions can occur.”
“Lowell’s communities of color and their allies banded together to seek a more fair electoral system,” Denisse Collazo, one of the Latino plaintiffs, said to Sampan. An Asian American plaintiff also spoke with the newspaper.
“One of Lowell’s great strengths is its diversity,” said Tooch Van, one of the Asian American plaintiffs. “Today’s agreement will help ensure that this diversity is reflected in our elected bodies as well. That will make our City stronger.”
The resolution of this lawsuit is subject to the approval of Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. If approved, the public meetings to educate residents of the law can get underway.
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