A panel of three federal judges held Monday that North Carolina’s congressional districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Republicans over Democrats and said it may require new districts before the November elections, possibly affecting control of the House.
The judges acknowledged that primary elections have already produced candidates for the 2018 elections but said they were reluctant to let voting take place in congressional districts that courts twice have found violate constitutional standards. [snip]
“We continue to lament that North Carolina voters now have been deprived of a constitutional congressional districting plan — and, therefore, constitutional representation in Congress — for six years and three election cycles,” [Judge James A.] Wynn wrote. “To the extent allowing the General Assembly another opportunity to draw a remedial plan would further delay electing representatives under a constitutional districting plan, that delay weighs heavily against giving the General Assembly another such opportunity.”
He proposed several unusual ideas: appointing a special master to draw new districts, holding general elections without party primaries or even turning the November elections into a primary and holding the general election sometime before the new Congress convenes in January.It would be hard not to conclude, as Federal courts now have for the second time, that the election- rigging gnomes in the North Carolina Republican/ New Confederate Party have been up to no good, and would continue their unconstitutional map drawing if given the opportunity. After all, the helpful morons had already come out and admitted it:
“I think electing Republicans is better than electing Democrats,” said Rep. David Lewis, a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly, addressing fellow legislators when they passed the plan in 2016. “So I drew this map to help foster what I think is better for the country.”
He added: “I propose that we draw the maps to give a partisan advantage to 10 Republicans and three Democrats because I do not believe it’s possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats.” (our emphasis)That's very white of you, Rep. Lewis!
Since printing of ballots has been halted by an injunction, any of the options outlined by the court is feasible. The vote- riggers have until Friday to show the court why they should get a third try. (Spoiler alert: the chances of that happening are "slim" and "are you effing kidding me?") The likely outcome is expected to be having a Special Master draw up new district boundaries by September 17, choosing from a number of already- existing maps that would pass constitutional muster.
