Feds’ suit claims Pennsylvania city’s ‘at-large’ election system is biased against Hispanic voters

The U.S. Justice Department wants a judge to declare that a Pennsylvania city’s method of electing council members citywide instead of by districts has illegally diluted the political power of its growing Hispanic population, arguing in a lawsuit that Hazleton is violating the federal Voting Rights Act.

A complaint filed Tuesday in Scranton federal court claims the “at-large” system “results in Hispanic citizens not having an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice.”

The Justice Department under outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden is seeking a court order that the city, the five-member City Council and Republican Mayor Jeff Cusat come up with a new system.