In 5-4 Split, Supreme Court Won’t Touch Partisan Gerrymandering
The Supreme Court won’t rein in partisan gerrymandering, Chief Justice John Roberts said in an
opinion in two cases Thursday.
The court split on the issue 5-4 on conservative-liberal lines.
“Our conclusion does not condone excessive partisan gerrymandering. Nor does our conclusion condemn complaints about districting to echo into a void,” Roberts said in his opinion. “The States, for example, are actively addressing the issue on a number of fronts.”
The court had before it two partisan gerrymandering cases: one challenging a map drawn by Democrats in Maryland and another challenging a GOP map in North Carolina.
The court’s decision raises the stakes on the 2020 elections, where in many states voters will chose the lawmakers who will draw the maps for the next decade of redistricting.