The U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Intervene, Leaves Gerrymandered Maps in Place

Issues

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal courts may not intervene to block partisan election maps, no matter how unfair they may be. In its decision not to strike down North Carolina or Maryland’s maps, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to set a standard by which states must limit their practice of partisan gerrymandering.  

Campaign Legal Center (CLC), the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ), and University of Chicago Professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos represent the League of Women Voters of North Carolina and 12 individual North Carolina plaintiffs. 

“Today’s decision is a setback in the fight for fair maps around the country,” said Paul Smith, vice president at CLC, and counsel of record in Rucho v. League of Women Voters of NC. “While we are disappointed that North Carolina voters will continue to vote in districts that were shown at trial to be severely biased, the fight is far from over. We must redouble our efforts outside the courtroom to keep advancing efforts that put the voices of voters first. Independent citizen-led commissions, such as those passed in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah in 2018, have been highly successful in ensuring that district maps fairly represent the population. Reformers from other states should follow this lead and continue to fight back against gerrymandering.” 

A video released by CLC on March 7 highlights the stories of voters whose voices were silenced in North Carolina by self-interested politicians. 

CLC will continue to support efforts to mitigate the harms of partisan gerrymandering through a more independent map drawing process. Learn more about the movement to establish citizen-led redistricting commissions in the states.