North Carolina and Racial Redistricting

In addition to North Carolina’s package of changes to its voting laws, the same state legislature has been sued for unconstitutionally using race to gerrymander its state election districts.  Though this racial gerrymandering issue has gotten less attention in the press so far than the changes to voting laws, the gerrymander might well have more significant outcomes on actual politics and policymaking in the state over the next decade.

Before the Supreme Court’s Shelby County decision, the state trial court upheld this redistricting plan.  It is now pending before the state Supreme Court, which among other things, will have to determine if Shelby County has any bearing on the issues.  Depending on the outcome, the case could find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Although I very rarely sign on to amicus briefs, I agreed to join one here, on behalf of academic experts in the voting-rights field.  The brief can be found here