The North Carolina Supreme Court has overturned its previous ruling that banned partisan gerrymandering, allowing the Republican party to redraw the state's congressional lines in a manner heavily favoring the GOP. This decision could enable national Republicans to expand their majority in the House of Representatives by as many as four seats.
The Republican-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court made this reversal following changes brought about when Republicans gained more seats on the court during midterm elections. The US Supreme Court is currently not considering whether Friday's ruling prompts it to dismiss any related cases.
This outcome marks a significant loss for voting rights groups who had challenged the congressional plan drawn by the Republican legislature after the 2020 census. In December, when liberals controlled the court, a pair of rulings rejected redistricting maps due to "excessive partisanship" and declared that photo voter ID laws were illegal because they were infected with racial bias.
However, on Friday, these rulings were reversed by decisions from newly-elected justices. According to Susan Johnson, political analyst at Wake Forest University:
Not only did this decision overturn legislative and congressional maps deemed illegal gerrymanders previously but it also allowed for further restrictions on voting rights imposed by legislators. These developments reflect nationwide trends where states elect judges and multi-million-dollar political battles ensue over high court seats.
Voting rights advocates have expressed their disappointment in these reversals. John Smithson, executive director of Democracy NC said:
On-the-other-hand,-supporters-of-these-changes-argue-that-they're-simply-reestablishing-fairness-in-voting-processes.-James-Rodriguez,-a-Republican-political-strategist-explained:
In conclusion, the North Carolina Supreme Court has overturned three major cases related to voting after its majority flipped from Democratic to Republican. This decision is expected to have significant implications on congressional redistricting and potential control of Congress in upcoming election cycles.