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A United States Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit against the City of Hazleton for an alleged violation of the Voting Rights Act has been voluntarily dismissed, according to a press release signed by Mayor Jeff Cusat.
The lawsuit suggested that the city council’s at-large method of election disenfranchised the city’s near-40% contingent of Hispanic voters. This was supported in the lawuit by pointing to the city’s lack of elected Hispanic leadership, and failed attempts by Hispanic candidates to get elected in the past.
The complaint was filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and suggested a new method of election. The DOJ brought forth a single-member district method, which, they said, would allow Hispanic voters a more reasonable opportunity to elect two of the five city council members, a more proportionate share of the population.
The release from Cusat disputed the DOJ’s alleged presumptions that the non-Hispanic voters of Hazleton vote in a uniform bloc to Hispanic candidates. The city filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, and defended the current method of election for city council members.
“The Hazleton community simply cannot be stereotyped by people who have never visited the area,” the release stated.
Additionally, Cusat said that any alterations to the city’s voting methods will be decided by the voters themselves through a ballot referendum.