A Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit alleges that Hazleton, Pennsylvania’s city council elections violate federal law because not enough “Hispanic-preferred candidates” are winning – without defining what a Hispanic-preferred candidate is.
The DOJ sued the majority-Hispanic town Tuesday over its at-large election system in which voters across Hazelton vote to elect each district’s city council member, alleging it does not give Hispanics a fair chance at participation and violates a section of the Voting Rights Act that bans restricting voters based on race. The complaint fails to prove illegal discrimination and appears “meritless” on its face, legal experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.