The Supreme Court has allowed congressional maps approved first by state courts in North Carolina and Pennsylvania to stand. The decision will give Democrats an advantage in the 2022 midterm election in two key states.
The Supreme Court rejected requests made by Republicans to restore old maps that were approved by Republican-controlled state legislatures. The previous maps in both states included district lines that were thrown out and replaced by courts after challenges by Democrats.
The disputes in North Carolina and Pennsylvania are merely among the many court battles taking place across the United States over the composition of electoral districts. Each decade, they are redrawn in order to reflect population changes measured in a national census. The last one was taken in 2020.
Typically this redistricting would be done by the party in power. This has led to map manipulation in order to have partisan gain. In 2019, the Supreme Court barred federal judges from stopping this from happening, labeling it partisan gerrymandering.
Both state decisions are a win politically for Democrats. Republicans are seeking to regain control of the House of Representatives, which is narrowly controlled by the Democrat party. This ruling might improve the Democrats’ chances of retaining the House.
The decisions are also a win for voting rights groups.
However, the decision is not yet one for celebration. In the North Carolina case, there were signs that at least four of the more conservative justices who sit on the highest court could rule later that state courts are powerless to change congressional maps adopted by state legislatures.
If the Supreme Court were to rule this way, it would fundamentally change how congressional elections are conducted. It would amplify partisan gerrymandering, and allow whatever party that controls the legislature to draw voting districts that favor its candidates.
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