Supreme Court rejects NC Republicans’ redistricting plan.

The Supreme Court’s Ruling on State-Level Politicians’ Power Over Federal Elections

The Supreme Court on Tuesday delivered a significant ruling against North Carolina Republican lawmakers, rejecting their attempt to enhance the authority of state-level politicians in federal elections. This decision has major implications for the American democratic process.

The Impact of the Decision

The Supreme Court upheld a 2022 ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court, refusing to embrace the “independent state legislature” doctrine favored by conservatives. This doctrine eliminates the role of state courts and state constitutions in regulating presidential and congressional elections.

The legal theory is based on the U.S. Constitution’s statement that the “times, places, and manner” of federal elections “shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.”

The Issue of Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering, the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor certain voters, was at the center of this case. Republican legislators were accused of partisan gerrymandering to marginalize Democratic voting power.

Legislative districts are redrawn every decade based on population changes. Following the 2020 U.S. census, North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature adopted a new voting map.

Critics’ Concerns and Republican Efforts

Critics of the “independent state legislature” doctrine, including legal scholars, Democrats, and voting rights advocates, view it as a threat to American democratic norms. They argue that it enables further voting restrictions and extreme partisan gerrymandering. In 2019, the Supreme Court barred federal judges from curbing partisan gerrymandering.

Conservatives and Republican politicians have embraced this doctrine, passing new laws and restrictions in various states to combat voter fraud. These efforts intensified after former President Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread voting fraud in the 2020 election.

The Republican Argument and Legal Proceedings

The North Carolina Republicans argued that the Constitution grants state legislatures, not state courts, authority over election rules and district maps. They claimed that the state court exceeded its authority in regulating federal elections.

Democratic voters and other plaintiffs sued after North Carolina’s legislature passed its congressional map in 2021. They argued that the map violated the state constitution’s provisions on free elections and freedom of assembly.

In February 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court invalidated the map, citing intentional bias against Democrats and the dilution of their voting power. A new map, drawn by a bipartisan group of experts, was used in the November 2022 elections.

During the case’s hearing in December, President Joe Biden’s administration opposed the Republican position before the U.S. Supreme Court.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung)