Federal Judge Bars Jasper School Board Elections

RIDGELAND, S.C. (AP) _ A federal judge has blocked the Jasper County from holding elections for school board seats in November, saying the current election districts violate voting laws. The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports that U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled last week that the current district lines violate the “one person, one vote” election standard of the 14th Amendment. The American Civil Liberties Union sued in June over the board’s single-member district lines which were last redrawn 15 years ago. Gergel ruled the elections for the school board cannot be held until a new plan is drawn. It’s up to the General Assembly to redraw the districts. If lawmakers do not do that by March 1, the federal court in Charleston will redraw the districts. ___