The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of South Carolina’s newly drawn congressional map, reversing a lower federal court’s ruling that the map was racially gerrymandered. By a vote of 6-3, the high court tossed out an appeals court ruling that argued against the map based on allegations of racial gerrymandering. The court determined that the lower court lacked sufficient evidence to support its claims and ruled that partisan gerrymandering does not violate the Constitution as long as race is not the primary factor in drawing district lines.
The challenge to South Carolina’s 2022 congressional district map was brought by voter Taiwan Scott and the South Carolina NAACP, with representation from the American Civil Liberties Union and other allied groups. Republican state lawmakers had requested a review of the lower court’s ruling that ordered South Carolina to redraw its congressional district map following a nine-day trial in which the court found evidence of diluting Black votes in the 1st Congressional District. However, this ruling was held pending further litigation.
In their decision, the Supreme Court highlighted the fact that the Black voting age population in the disputed district remained around 17% despite an increase in Republican voter majority. The justices concluded that partisan gerrymandering is not a violation of the Constitution as long as race is not the main factor when drawing district lines.
None of the facts on which the District Court relied to infer a racial motive is sufficient to support an inference that can overcome the presumption of legislative good faith,” wrote Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. for the majority, with all GOP-nominated justices concurring.
The three Democratic appointees on the court dissented from the majority opinion, arguing that the district court’s analysis was thorough and that the three-judge panel unanimously found that race played a significant role in redrawing District 1. These dissenting justices called for the state to redraw the lines without targeting African American citizens.
The case involving South Carolina’s congressional district map is not an isolated incident. In April, a federal appeals court with the 3rd Circuit ruled in favor of Republicans in a lawsuit targeting mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. The three-judge panel overturned the order of a federal district court and ruled in favor of the Republican National Committee (RNC) regarding signature verification for mail-in voting, potentially impacting election integrity and voter confidence nationwide.
