The South Carolina Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that state lawmakers engaged in unconstitutional gerrymandering. The court provided its ruling yesterday, leaving the state’s current congressional and legislative district maps in place.
The lawsuit, which was brought by a group of voters and a civil rights organization, argued that the newly drawn district lines were created to give one political party an unfair advantage. The plaintiffs claimed the maps were a partisan gerrymander that violated the state constitution.
In its ruling, the court did not address the claims of partisan gerrymandering directly. Instead, the majority of justices ruled that the plaintiffs had not presented sufficient evidence to prove that the district lines were drawn solely to harm voters based on their political views. The court stated that it is not the judiciary’s role to redraw maps without clear proof of unconstitutional intent.
This ruling concludes a legal battle that has been ongoing since the new maps were approved by the legislature. It is a significant victory for state lawmakers who have defended the maps as being in compliance with all legal requirements.
The decision is a major development in the ongoing national debate over gerrymandering and its impact on elections. The court’s ruling establishes a high bar for proving partisan gerrymandering in South Carolina.
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