On Friday, December 19, 2025, a seismic decision reverberated through Mississippi’s legal and political landscape. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ordered special elections for the Mississippi Supreme Court, following her earlier finding that the state’s electoral map for selecting justices violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling, which comes after years of legal wrangling and mounting pressure from civil rights groups, could reshape the composition and future of the state’s highest court.
The roots of this decision stretch back to 1987, when Mississippi enacted its current Supreme Court electoral map. For decades, the map’s configuration has drawn criticism for dividing the state’s Delta region—a historically Black area—across multiple districts. According to NPR, this division has had a profound effect: it has diminished the voting strength of Black Mississippians in the Central District, effectively limiting their influence on the nine-member Supreme Court.
The issue came to a head in 2022, when the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit challenging the map. The ACLU argued that by splitting the Delta region in half, the state diluted Black voting power in a way that contravened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Section 2, for context, is the primary legal tool available for plaintiffs to challenge racially discriminatory election practices in the United States. It’s a crucial safeguard—one that’s currently under scrutiny at the U.S. Supreme Court, adding another layer of complexity and urgency to the Mississippi case.
Judge Aycock’s August 2025 ruling sided with the ACLU. She concluded that the map, as drawn, indeed diluted Black voters’ power. In that ruling, Aycock noted a striking statistic: although Mississippi is nearly 40% Black, the state’s Supreme Court has never had more than one Black justice serving at a time. In fact, only four Black people have ever served on the court—all of them occupying the same Central District seat, and all initially appointed by sitting governors rather than elected by the people. These facts, Aycock determined, underscored the need for a more equitable system.
“Mississippi is nearly 40% Black, but has never had more than one Black Justice on the nine-member Court,” Ari Savitzky, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, stated in response to the ruling. “We couldn’t be happier to see justice on the horizon.” The sentiment echoed through advocacy circles, with many describing the judge’s order as a long-overdue step toward fairer representation on one of the state’s most powerful bodies.
The practical implications of Judge Aycock’s order are significant. The Mississippi Legislature now has until the end of its 2026 regular session to redraw the Supreme Court’s electoral map. Once lawmakers approve a new configuration, Aycock has said she will act swiftly to meet any deadlines necessary to hold the special elections—currently targeted for November 2026. However, she’s holding off on deciding precisely which Supreme Court seats will be up for election until after the new map is finalized. It’s a cautious approach, designed to ensure that the remedy matches the scope of the problem.
The timing of the ruling couldn’t be more consequential. In December, two sitting Mississippi Supreme Court justices were appointed to federal judgeships, creating vacancies on the state’s highest court. According to ABC News, Governor Tate Reeves will appoint temporary replacements to serve until the special elections are held. It’s a stopgap measure, but one that underscores just how much is at stake in the coming months.
Of course, not everyone is on board with Judge Aycock’s decision. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office is appealing her August ruling, and the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has put its own proceedings on hold, pending the outcome of the related U.S. Supreme Court cases. Both the Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s offices declined to comment when contacted by media outlets, reflecting the high political sensitivity of the issue.
The legal battle in Mississippi is unfolding against a national backdrop of intense debate over voting rights and electoral fairness. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the very provision at the heart of the Mississippi case, is itself under challenge at the U.S. Supreme Court. The outcome of that case could have sweeping implications—not just for Mississippi, but for states across the country grappling with similar issues of representation, race, and power.
For now, Judge Aycock’s order stands as a clear rebuke of Mississippi’s status quo. Her findings, as reported by the Associated Press, highlight the enduring legacy of racial discrimination in the state’s electoral systems. The fact that all four Black justices who have served on the Supreme Court were appointed—never elected—underscores the structural barriers that have long prevented Black Mississippians from attaining meaningful representation at the highest judicial level.
The ACLU’s 2022 lawsuit, which set this process in motion, zeroed in on the way the current map splits the Delta region. This area, rich in history and culture, has been a focal point of the civil rights movement for generations. Yet, as the lawsuit argued and the court affirmed, its residents’ political power has been systematically curtailed by the way district lines are drawn.
Mississippi’s Supreme Court elections are nonpartisan, at least in theory. But as the ongoing controversy demonstrates, questions of race and representation are never far from the surface. The upcoming redistricting process will test the legislature’s willingness—and ability—to craft a fairer system. It will also test the resolve of those who have long fought for change, both inside and outside the courtroom.
Looking ahead, the timeline is tight. The legislature must act before the end of its 2026 session, and once a new map is in place, Judge Aycock has pledged to move quickly to ensure special elections can proceed as scheduled. The stakes are enormous: not just for the candidates who may run, but for the citizens whose voices have been muted for too long.
As the state prepares for a new chapter in its judicial history, many are watching closely—hopeful that, at long last, Mississippi’s Supreme Court might come to reflect the true diversity of the people it serves.
