A federal ruling will now give Jacksonville voters the opportunity to elect five black council members instead of just four.

U.S. District Judge Maria Morales Howard, appointed by former U.S. Pres. George Bush, ordered the implementation of the plaintiffs’ voting map instead of the map drawn up by the Jacksonville City Council in a lawsuit alleging racial gerrymandering.

“We alleged and proved that all the black voters were packed into four districts and these districts were very safe for black voters, but then there weren’t enough black voters outside this district to a preferred candidate,” said Jack Genberg, senior staff attorney for voting rights with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). “With the agreed upon map, there’s more opportunity for black voters.”