Court declines stay in redistricting; Congress elections off
By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press
RALEIGH, NC (AP) – The US Supreme Court won’t stop a lower-court order that demanded North Carolina legislators draw a new congressional map. Friday’s decision means House primary elections won’t happen next month as scheduled and are now in June.
The denial of the state’s request for the Supreme Court to intervene came after Republican lawmakers redrew the boundaries as a safeguard to comply with a federal court ruling that called two majority black districts racial gerrymanders. A three-judge panel ordered a replacement map by Friday.
State attorneys had argued eliminating the current districts would create electoral chaos and a costly House primary separate from the previously scheduled March 15 primary for North Carolina. But voters who sued over the boundaries said they shouldn’t have to vote in illegal districts for another election cycle.
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