Supreme Court of the United States Found Michigan Unconstitutionally Gerrymandered Congressional Districts

The United States Supreme Court on Monday cancelled a federal court’s decision, which found Michigan’s congressional voting districts were unconstitutional because they were gerrymandered to such a degree that it violated voters’ First Amendment rights and the Constitution’s Equal Protection clause.

The Supreme Court’s action voided an order in April by a three-judge panel to rework 34 districts in the state legislature and U.S. House of Representatives whose boundaries were crafted purely to advantage Republicans, a practice known as partisan gerrymandering.

Justices voted 5-4 in that ruling, with Chief Justice John Roberts saying that while the districts were "highly partisan by any measure," partisan gerrymandering claims are "beyond the reach of the federal courts."

Roberts reasoned that the question before the court “determining when political gerrymandering has gone too far” could not be grounded in a “limited and precise rationale” because the issue “lacks judicially discoverable and manageable standards for resolving.”

Because of the decision, Michigan's political lines will remain in place at least until 2022, when a bipartisan commission created by a statewide referendum last year is expected to take over the process of drawing those boundaries.

The Supreme Court on Oct. 7 threw out a similar case from Ohio in which a lower court had invalidated 16 Republican-drawn U.S. House districts that Democrats had said were drawn to unlawfully diminish their political clout.

“I think it important to underscore that fact: The majority disputes none of what I have said (or will say) about how gerrymanders undermine democracy. Indeed, the majority concedes (really, how could it not?) that gerrymandering is ‘incompatible with democratic principles,’” Justice Elena Kagan said from the bench.

The new Supreme Court order follows a similar move that sealed a win for Ohio Republicans on their gerrymandered congressional voting map.

When SCOTUS made its ruling on gerrymandering in June, it also affected states like North Carolina, Maryland, Ohio and Wisconsin.