By Jan Wolfe

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing a Texas County of creating an electoral map that is discriminatory against Black voters and Hispanic voters.

In Texas, the lawsuit is filed at a federal court. It seeks to prevent Galveston County from implementing its 2021 redistricting program for its governing body.

According to the Justice Department, the map was created “for discriminatory purposes” in order that Hispanic and Black citizens would not have equal access to the political process.

According to the Justice Department officials in heavily Republican County deliberately redrew electoral maps to erase the one precinct previously composed of majority Black and Hispanic residents.

Galveston County spokespeople did not immediately reply to my request.

This lawsuit is the third in a series of recent cases where the Biden administration challenges voting methods adopted by Texas Republicans.

The Justice Department filed suit against Texas officials in November over Texas Senate Bill 1, a law that restricts mail voting. This lawsuit continues to be pending.

Greg Abbott, Texas governor has said that the law is intended to crack down on voter fraud.

Republican legislators in several politically important states passed new voting restrictions and limits. They claimed the measures were necessary to reduce voter fraud, even though there is not much evidence in the United States.

Backers of the measures cite Republican former President Donald Trump’s baseless claim that fraud underlay his presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

State officials were sued by Democrats and advocates for voting rights over the law, denouncing them as partisan power grabs which willdisproportionately disadvantage voters of color.