More than half of the population in Dodge City, Kansas, is Latino. But in the past 20 years members of the community argue they have never had the power to elect city officials of their choice. A federal judge heard arguments last week in a lawsuit that aims to change this, with critics of Dodge City’s current local government structure arguing it denies representation and voting rights to its Hispanic and Latino residents. The outcome of the case holds major consequences for the Southwest Kansas city. And if Dodge City loses, other Kansas cities may face their own legal challenges or calls for change. The lawsuit, filed in 2022 by the ACLU of Kansas and other voting rights groups on behalf of two Dodge City voters, argues that Dodge City’s at-large voting system violates federal voting rights law because it denies Hispanic and Latino residents who live in the same part of the city the ability to elect representatives of their choosing. Several other Kansas communities also use at-large voting systems – where every city council member must be elected by a vote from the entire city, rather than a specific district.
Source: Wichita Eagle