The Supreme Court’s Gerrymandering Ruling Is a Doomsday Scenario for Voting Rights
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The court found that partisan gerrymandering can’t be blocked by the judiciary, even in extreme cases.
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that partisan gerrymandering cannot be challenged in federal court. The decision is a devastating blow to voters in gerrymandered districts, as well as the voting rights advocates who have been working for years to rein in extreme gerrymandering that benefits one party.
But the court’s conservative majority, in a 5-4 opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, found Thursday that drawing maps to help one party remain in power presents “political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts.”
The ruling comes at a pivotal time: The 2020 elections will determine who controls the state legislative bodies that in most states will draw new district lines in 2021, following the 2020 census. These cases were the last chance for the Supreme Court to curb partisan gerrymandering before the next election. By ruling that partisan gerrymandering is beyond the reach of the courts, Thursday’s decision virtually ensures that the maps passed in 2021 will be even more extreme than in 2010.
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