League Celebrates Supreme Court Ruling in North Carolina Redistricting Case

Supreme Court Finds North Carolina Redistricting Unconstitutional on Racial Gerrymandering

LWV Celebrates Major Win for Voters

Washington, DC – The United States Supreme Court ruled Monday that North Carolina lawmakers used racial considerations to draw congressional districts following the 2010 Census. This unconstitutional racial gerrymandering benefited one political party’s power in the state.

“This is a major win in the battle for fair election districts,” said League of Women Voters president Chris Carson. “The Court rejected North Carolina’s claim that a racial gerrymander can be justified by arguing that it is a political gerrymander, which is allowed by law.”

The League of Women Voters filed an amicus brief with the Campaign Legal Center in this case, arguing that “post hoc explanations by the legislature that the lines it drew were based on partisan concerns cannot override evidence that race, not politics, was the primary motivation in drawing district lines.” 

“This is a critical win where racial and political gerrymanders intersect," continued Carson. “The claim by the North Carolina legislature that the lines drawn were based on partisan concerns cannot override evidence that race, not politics, was the primary motivation in drawing district lines."

The Court rejected this argument twice. 

First, it held that the actual evidence in the case showed that this was a racial gerrymander. Second, it rejected the state's argument that a unique type of evidence, which was not present, is required to overcome the state's claim that a political rather than a racial gerrymander took place. 

Contact: Sarah Courtney | 202-263-1332 | [email protected]