While the City of Santa Monica heads into the third week of defending its election system against a lawsuit alleging it is illegal under the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), a separate case is challenging the constitutionality of the law itself. The former mayor of Poway brought the case after his city settled and formed districts rather than face litigation from the same group of attorneys suing Santa Monica.

The lawsuit filed in federal court argues the CVRA violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution because it makes race the deciding factor when drawing electoral districts. The case was brought by the Project on Fair Representation, the same conservative legal defense fund that brought affirmative action in college admissions before the Supreme Court in Abigail Fisher v. University of Texas.

Read More: http://www.smdp.com/voting-rights-trial-heads-into-third-week/168478