The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request by North Carolina lawmakers to review a case that struck down 2011 state legislative districts drawn as illegal racial gerrymanders. The Court also sent the case back to the lower court to determine whether elections should be held in 2017 as initially ordered.
Voting rights group Democracy North Carolina praised the decision, saying “for too long, North Carolinians have been beholden to lawmakers in discriminatory districts.”
“We applaud the U.S. Supreme Court’s latest affirmation that North Carolina’s districts are unconstitutional racial gerrymanders,” said Bob Hall, Democracy North Carolina’s Executive Director.
“For too long, North Carolinians have been beholden to lawmakers in discriminatory districts. Now’s the time for the N.C. General Assembly to focus on redrawing fair maps and hosting fair elections so that North Carolinians can finally be represented by legislators chosen by voters, and not the other way around.”
Democracy North Carolina is a statewide nonpartisan organization that uses research, organizing, and training to increase civic participation, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and remove systemic barriers to voting and serving in elected office.
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