A lawsuit alleging racial gerrymandering in North Carolina’s legislative districts could significantly affect the state’s 2024 primary elections. This legal challenge, brought forth by a group of Black and Hispanic voters, is aimed at the new voting maps drafted by the Republican majority in the General Assembly. The lawsuit contends that these maps intentionally discriminate against minority voters, potentially altering the political landscape in North Carolina for the next decade.
Filed on the same day as candidate filing for the 2024 elections commenced, the lawsuit seeks to prevent the implementation of the new Republican-backed voting lines. If not blocked by the court, these maps will be in effect for every election from 2024 through 2030.
The redrawing of North Carolina’s congressional districts comes in the wake of the 2020 Census, which showed a significant increase in the state’s non-white population. This demographic shift contributed to North Carolina gaining an additional seat in Congress. However, the lawsuit argues that instead of reflecting the state’s growing diversity, the new maps were crafted to dilute minority voting power and bolster white conservative representation.