U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Upholds Arizona’s Redistricting Plan Drawn to Protect Minority Voting Rights

State rightfully complied with the Voting Rights Act, and did not engage in a partisan gerrymander

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court today unanimously held the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission did not engage in a partisan gerrymander, but instead drew its legislative map to comply with the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The decision is a huge victory for voting rights.

“The high court has preserved the rights of minorities to elect candidates of their choice under existing plans,” said Gerry Hebert, executive director of the Campaign Legal Center. “Denying Arizona the ability to have considered the VRA’s guidance in drawing districts before Shelby County v. Holder was decided would have disrupted thousands of other plans that have previously considered the VRA in the drawing of their maps.”

Since Arizona drew its map in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a key provision of the VRA, potentially allowing many jurisdictions across the country to implement racially discriminatory redistricting maps in the 2020 cycle if Congress does not act to restore the VRA.

Campaign Legal Center submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in Harris v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, in support of Arizona’s ability to consider complying with the VRA in drawing its maps.