High Court to Consider Partisan Gerrymandering

Wisonsin Case Could Be Heard This Fall

The Supreme Court agreed this morning to take a new look at partisan gerrymandering, accepting a Wisconsin case in which a three-judge lower court ruled that Republican legislators unfairly drew State Assembly districts that work to elect GOP candidates.

Gill v. Whitford will be considered in the high court’s next term, beginning in October.

“For too long, the important task of redistricting has resembled a back-alley brawl: no rules, no referees, and no holds barred,” said Dan Vicuña, Common Cause National Redistricting Manager. “Technology has made it easier than ever for self-interested legislators to manipulate districts for political advantage, so it is essential that courts step in to protect voters’ fundamental constitutional rights.”

The Wisconsin case invites the high court to set a standard for how aggressively lawmakers can manipulate district boundaries to create a political advantage for a particular party. The justices have repeatedly struck down redistricting plans crafted to shut out racial minorities but have balked at setting limits on partisan gerrymandering.

Common Cause is the lead plaintiff in a similar case, Common Cause v. Rucho, that was scheduled for trial in North Carolina next week but has been delayed; a new date has not been set.

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