FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2024
Contact: Sam D’Arcangelo, RepresentUs, sdarcangelo@represent.us
FLORENCE, MA – Today, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP that states can create racially gerrymandered electoral maps as long as they claim their intent was to create a partisan gerrymander.
RepresentUs Policy Director David O'Brien issued the following statement in response:
The Supreme Court’s ruling is a major win for corrupt politicians who want to choose their own voters instead of the other way around. In addition to codifying the practice of rigging electoral maps for partisan gain, today’s ruling effectively disenfranchises countless voters of color by making it even harder to toss out racially gerrymandered electoral maps. Justice Alito’s statement that, “as far as the Federal Constitution is concerned, a legislature may pursue partisan ends when it engages in redistricting,” flies in the face of all the principles our democratic republic was built on, yet it now appears in an opinion from our nation’s highest court. That is unacceptable.
With the Supreme Court undermining the Voting Rights Act and failing to address both racial and partisan gerrymandering, it’s clear that the path forward is to continue this battle at the state level. Today’s ruling emphatically reaffirms the need for states to adopt independent redistricting commissions that are proven to be an effective antidote to partisan gerrymandering. Four states have implemented truly independent redistricting commissions, which put the power to draw electoral maps in the hands of a nonpartisan body rather than politicians who reject the idea of electoral accountability. Today's ruling is also a potent reminder that addressing this crisis requires even more ambitious reforms, including proportional voting methods that more accurately reflect the will of the voters. We look forward to leading the fight to bring these ideas to the states.
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RepresentUs is America’s leading nonpartisan organization fighting to protect and strengthen democracy. We unite unlikely allies from across the political spectrum who put country over party to pass pro-democracy laws, fight corruption, and defeat authoritarian threats. We have won more than 170 victories in cities and states across America since our founding 11 years ago. Each win brings us one step closer to our vision of making America the world’s strongest democracy.
For more information, contact: Sam D’Arcangelo, RepresentUs, sdarcangelo@represent.us