Landmark Victory: Court Rules NC Partisan Gerrymandering is Unconstitutional, Orders New Legislative Maps Drawn for the 2020 Election
- David Vance (202) 736-5712 dvance@commoncause.org
- Bryan Warner bwarner@commoncause.org
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RALEIGH – A panel of three judges in the Wake County Superior Court ruled unanimously today in Common Cause v. Lewis that the NC General Assembly violated the North Carolina Constitution when it gerrymandered the state’s legislative districts for partisan gain. The court gave the legislature two weeks to draw new NC House and NC Senate districts, applying strict nonpartisan criteria and in full public view.
Statement from Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause NC:
“This is a historic victory for the people of North Carolina. The court has made clear that partisan gerrymandering violates our state’s constitution and is unacceptable. Thanks to the court’s landmark decision, politicians in Raleigh will no longer be able to rig our elections through partisan gerrymandering.
What’s crucial now is ensuring that the legislature fully complies with the court’s order and draws new legislative districts in a timely fashion, with full transparency and robust public input, absolutely free from gerrymandering.”
Statement from Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause:
“A narrow majority on the United States Supreme Court turned their backs on the voters in North Carolina in June refusing to curb the blatant partisan gerrymander, but today the state’s own court stood up for the rights of those voters under the state constitution. This victory joins a growing list of victories in the fight to end gerrymandering nationwide. The battles do not end here though. We will watchdog this process to ensure that the legislature draws fair maps and the process is transparent. In other states the fight will go on in state courts, in legislatures, and through ballot initiatives to ensure every voter across this country has a voice at the polls. Common Cause will be relentless in continuing our fight to end partisan gerrymandering once and for all.”
To view the ruling, click here.
To learn more about Common Cause v. Lewis, click here.