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North Carolina Congressional Map Ruled Unconstitutionally Gerrymandered (nytimes.com)

Posted by msmash on from the closer-look dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: A panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina's congressional map on Tuesday, condemning it as unconstitutional because Republicans had drawn the map seeking a political advantage (Editor's note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source). The ruling was the first time that a federal court had blocked a congressional map because of a partisan gerrymander, and it instantly endangered Republican seats in the coming elections. Judge James A. Wynn Jr., in a biting 191-page opinion, said that Republicans in North Carolina's Legislature had been "motivated by invidious partisan intent" as they carried out their obligation in 2016 to divide the state into 13 congressional districts, 10 of which are held by Republicans. The result, Judge Wynn wrote, violated the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection. The ruling and its chief demand -- that the Republican-dominated Legislature create a new landscape of congressional districts by Jan. 24 -- infused new turmoil into the political chaos that has in recent years enveloped North Carolina. President Trump carried North Carolina in 2016, but the state elected a Democrat as its governor on the same day and in 2008 supported President Barack Obama.

4 of 409 comments (clear)

  1. Wow, really? by VitrosChemistryAnaly · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Purposely changing election maps in order to effectively disenfranchise citizens is unconstitutional? You've got to be kidding me.

    In all seriousness, I do hope that something like this will be implemented in its stead:
    https://www.washingtonpost.com...

    ...however, I'm not holding my breath.

    --
    "It's a tarp!" -- Dyslexic Admiral Ackbar
    1. Re:Wow, really? by VitrosChemistryAnaly · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I didn't bring up political parties, Obama or Trump. My objection to gerrymandering goes beyond my political beliefs.

      And just because this stuff has been going on for a long time doesn't make it right. Just because the party that I may support is directly benefitted doesn't make it right.

      This idea that the system is broken because it produced a result you don't agree with is even MORE dangerous to democracy than gerrymandering.

      The results with which I don't agree is that citizens are effectively disenfranchised regardless of who wins. And when did I ever say that I didn't support the party that directly gained from the redrawn districts?

      --
      "It's a tarp!" -- Dyslexic Admiral Ackbar
    2. Re:Wow, really? by Strider- · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Gerrymandering is one of the many reasons why I'm glad to live in a country where the establishment of electoral boundaries is done by a non-partisan organization, based on a set of rules and census data. The rules are basically:

      1) The riding must be as compact as possible
      2) Where reasonable, the boundaries should follow natural boundaries (rivers, bays, ravines, etc...) and/or major man-made boundaries (Major roads, highways, municipal borders, etc...)
      3) in urban centres, the boundaries should try and respect neighbourhood boundaries

      All in all, it actually works, and is part of the check and balances on the power of the politicians.

      --
      ...si hoc legere nimium eruditionis habes...
  2. Plenty for nerds here by ferguson731 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    For example, check out the work of Moon Duchin and the Matrix Geometry and Gerrymandering Group at Tufts: http://sites.tufts.edu/gerryma... Chronicle of Higher Ed profile: https://www.chronicle.com/arti... And other mathematicians also: http://www.ams.org/publication...