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As US Supreme Court Pulls Back on Gerrymandering, State Courts May Decide Fate of Maps

The U.S. Supreme Court's retreat this year has left state courts to adjudicate legal challenges to partisan maps, potentially deciding new congressional districts before the 2026 midterm elections.
After a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court decision narrowed federal courts' role, state constitutions often echo freedom of speech and association rights across the 50 states, prompting challenges to partisan maps.
In Missouri, opponents submitted over 300,000 signatures to force a vote as officials implemented the new map despite a referendum campaign and lawsuits over signature validation.
On Dec. 4 the court allowed Texas's new map to proceed, a plan that seeks five more U.S. House seats, while several states including California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Utah adopted new maps this year.
Some state constitutions guarantee free and fair elections clauses, and at least 10 state supreme courts have ruled they can hear partisan-gerrymandering claims, shifting legal battles to state venues.

Insights by Ground AI