The Wall Street Journal – Politics – By Brent Kendall High court to consider whether excessive partisan gerrymandering violates constitution.
WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court Monday agreed to consider whether there are constitutional limits to how far lawmakers can go in drawing electoral districts to maximize partisan political advantage, a case that could have profound implications for U.S. elections.
The justices in a brief written order said they would review a redistricting case from Wisconsin, where a three-judge lower court last year invalidated a redistricting plan enacted by the Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature in 2011.
In a hint of the potential divisiveness of the issue, the high court on a 5-4 vote stayed the effect of the lower court ruling while it hears the case. That means Wisconsin officials for now won’t have to put a remedial redistricting map in place. The court’s four liberal justices would have denied the stay and left in place a lower court order requiring a new map by Nov. 1.
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