The Supreme Court has temporarily stopped a lower court’s ruling on Texas’s new voting map. The lower court believed the map, which favors Republicans, might unfairly discriminate against voters based on their race.
Justice Samuel Alito put the lower court’s decision on hold while the Supreme Court considers the case. This means the new map can be used for now, including in the upcoming primary elections in March.
The Supreme Court has often paused similar rulings that come close to election time. Texas created the new voting map to help Republicans win more seats in Congress. A group of judges said this map likely goes against the rights of Black and Hispanic voters.
If the Supreme Court eventually agrees with the lower court, Texas might have to use its old map for elections next year. The old map was created by the Republican-led state legislature.
Other states are also fighting over voting maps. Republicans in Missouri and North Carolina created maps that could give them more seats, while California Democrats made changes to gain seats as well. These maps are also being challenged in court.
The Supreme Court is also looking at a case from Louisiana that could limit how race is used when drawing voting districts. It’s not yet clear how this case might affect the voting maps in Texas and other states.
