Justice Department gives OK to redistricting plan

JACKSON — The Department of Justice has pre-cleared the city of Jackson’s redistricting plan, clearing the way for City Council members to run under new ward lines in 2013.

The Clarion-Ledger reports the new lines keep roughly the same structure as the old, with each ward seeing minor changes to account for a shrinking city center. Ward 3, in central Jackson, shrank considerably, while wards on the outskirts, like Ward 6 in south Jackson and Ward 1 to the northeast, grew or stayed close to the same.

Any changes to voting laws or district lines require pre-clearance from the Department of Justice because of past violations of the Voting Rights Act.

The proposed maps, approved this summer, were met with little controversy.