AUSTIN, Texas — A judge dismissed a lawsuit Thursday that accused the Texas Democratic Party of discriminating against Latino voters in the way it distributes presidential delegates.
The Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voters, does not dictate to parties how to decide their presidential nominees, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio ruled.
Latino voter advocates claimed the complicated Texas delegate system unfairly dilutes Latino votes by allotting fewer presidential delegates to heavily Latino areas.
The number of delegates in each state senate district depends on the voter turnout by Democrats in previous elections. That meant that some predominantly Latino districts, where turnout was low in 2004 and 2006, got fewer delegates than others, particularly urban, predominantly black districts where Democratic turnout was higher.
