On Monday, three North Carolina judges blocked the state’s current congressional map from being used in the upcoming 2020 elections.
What We Know:
- Many voters are fighting against the map, arguing that Republicans manipulated the district lines for political gain and judges ruled that they may have a fighting chance of winning their filed lawsuits.
- According to the Associated Press, the cease of the usage of these maps comes just 2 months after they struck down State House and Senate districts, where extreme manipulation of the lines were found. These are similar to the actions of what voters, that are suing over the congressional map, say occurred.
- According to the ruling, the judges, Paul Ridgeway, Alma Hinton and Joseph Crosswhite, said that “there is a substantial likelihood that plaintiffs will prevail on the merits of this action by showing beyond a reasonable doubt that the 2016 congressional districts are extreme partisan gerrymanders” in violation of the North Carolina Constitution.
- The judges did not give a specific date in which the new map should be drawn up but suggests lawmakers should have them drawn up quickly to keep congressional primaries on schedule.
- The ruling was a victory for state Democrats who have the support of the National Redistricting Foundation, which was founded by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
- “For nearly a decade, Republicans have forced the people of North Carolina to vote in districts that were manipulated for their own partisan advantage,” Holder said in a news release. “Now — finally — the era of Republican gerrymandering in the state is coming to an end.”
The State Board of Elections has said lines need to be finalized by December 15.
