State of South Carolina

South Carolina Redistricting Challenge (SCOTUS)

Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP

Lawsuit filed on behalf of the South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and a voter originally challenging the state’s past congressional and legislative maps for being malapportioned after the release of 2020 census data. After the South Carolina Legislature enacted new legislative and congressional districts, the plaintiffs filed amended complaints alleging that the new state House and congressional maps are racially gerrymandered and limit the voting strength of Black voters in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments.

A trial on the challenged state House districts was scheduled for mid-May, but the parties reached an agreement to enact a new state House map in which Black voters can elect the candidates of their choice in more districts compared to the original map. After a trial was held in fall 2022, on Jan. 6, 2023, the three-judge panel struck down South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District while leaving the 2nd and 5th Congressional Districts in place.

On Jan. 27, 2023, the defendants appealed the panel’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. On Feb. 6, the court extended the deadline for a remedial map to be drawn to 30 days after the Supreme Court issues a decision in the matter.

On May 15, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the case in full. Oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court was held on Oct. 11, 2023.

On March 28, 2024, after 170 days without a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, the trial court issued a ruling allowing the defendants to use the current congressional map for the 2024 election. The three-judge panel explained that even though they’d previously found the map to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, it was too late to adopt a remedial map before the 2024 elections.

The appeal on the merits is still pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. South Carolina will use a congressional map previously struck down as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander during the 2024 Elections.

RESULT: On May 23, 2024, the Supreme Court reversed the district court’s ruling and remanded the plaintiffs’ intentional discrimination claims back to the district court. The state’s current congressional map will remain in place. In July 2024, the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their remaining claim, thereby ending litigation.

Graphic titled "South Carolina Congressional Map Struck Down by Three Judge Panel" showing a blue-tinted South Carolina congressional map with a gradient of 15 to 50% percentage of Black voting age population per district. The 1st Congressional district contains polka dots that correspond to the key: District stuck down as  racial gerrymander

Case Documents (u.s. Supreme court)

Case Documents (Transcripts)

Case Documents (trial court)

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