Daytona Beach Residents Sue to Challenge Gerrymandered City Commission Map

Daytona Beach, FL — Three local residents and a community membership organization, VOTE!, filed a federal lawsuit yesterday challenging the map recently adopted by the Daytona Beach City Commission because the new map unlawfully ignored communities of interest and neighborhood needs in favor of impermissible racial goals.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, contends that Zones 5 and 6 were racially gerrymandered— when commissioners adopted a map with districts that assign Black residents into specific areas in ways that undermine fair districting and dilute Black voting power. According to the complaint, the City Commission’s redistricting plan splits communities along racial lines and neglects neighborhood needs, in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU of Florida.

“Daytona Beach voters deserve fair representation and equal opportunity for political power,” said Nicholas Sakhnovsky, VOTE! treasurer and founding member. “The City Commission has repeatedly produced maps at great expense to taxpayers, but has yet to draw a fair map. It continues to split up communities of interest, use race as a litmus test, and ignores residents who seek districts that serve our communities. We’re standing up because the very basis of democracy requires each and every voter to have fair representation.”

The lawsuit follows the City Commission’s decision to redraw its map after resolving a previous lawsuit in January 2025 that challenged its first attempt to redistrict as illegally gerrymandered.

According to the complaint, the City’s actions cannot be justified under the Voting Rights Act or any other compelling government interest, and instead reflect an unconstitutional use of race in redistricting.

“This is the second time we’ve had to go to court to protect Daytona voters,” said Nicholas Warren, staff attorney for the ACLU of Florida. “Even when presented with fair and constitutional alternatives, City Commissioners again chose to adopt a gerrymandered map. But Daytonans were watching – and they’re taking a stand to defend their democracy. We are proud to stand with them.”

The complaint in VOTE! v. City of Daytona Beach can be viewed below.