South Carolina Redistricting Challenge (SCOTUS)

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. Litigation is ongoing. Oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled for Oct. 11, 2023.

South Carolina’s Congressional Map

Last updated: September 11, 2023 4:13 pm EST