Federal Judges Allow Use of Racially Gerrymandered Map for 2024 South Carolina Elections

A recent decision by a panel of federal district court judges in South Carolina has granted a request from the state's Republican legislative leaders to reinstate the lines for Congressional District 1 that GOP state lawmakers drew following the 2020 Census. The judges determined that the 2024 elections for this congressional district can be conducted using a map that was deemed racially gerrymandered.

Republican Leaders' Request

The Republicans made their request to the district court in March 2023, seeking to pause the court's previous decision invalidating the district's lines, represented by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace. This request was based on the argument that the 2024 election cycle in South Carolina was already underway, with the candidate-filing period opened on March 16 and closing on April 1. According to the Republican leaders, last-minute changes to congressional district lines and the state's election calendar would confuse voters and lead to disorder.

Judges' Decision

The three-judge panel overseeing the redistricting dispute cited the impracticality of adopting a remedial plan for Congressional District 1 before the April 27 deadline for military and overseas ballots to be mailed. They acknowledged that the district is unlawful under the 14th Amendment but emphasized that the appeal before the Supreme Court, along with the rapidly approaching primary election procedures, necessitated a practical approach.

Supreme Court Intervention

Although the Republican leaders had sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court on March 18, the Supreme Court has yet to act on their bid for intervention. The high court had previously been asked to issue its ruling by January 1, but no decision has been made as of now.

Background and Previous Rulings

The dispute over the congressional voting map in the 2021 redistricting cycle was initially challenged by the South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and a voter in federal district court. The court's previous decision in January 2023 had concluded that state lawmakers racially gerrymandered Congressional District 1 with racially discriminatory intent, leading to the blockage of elections for the district. The GOP-led legislature was later given a deadline to submit new boundaries, and the earlier order to bar elections from being conducted under the GOP-drawn lines for Congressional District 1 after the 2024 election cycle was amended.

Uncertainty Surrounding Supreme Court's Ruling

The Supreme Court's ruling in the case is still pending, with no clear timeline for when a decision will be reached. During previous arguments, a majority of the court appeared skeptical of the lower court's decision, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the future resolution of this redistricting dispute.