North Carolina's New Voting Map: What's the Big Deal?

In a recent decision, a group of federal judges gave the green light to North Carolina's new congressional map. This map, drawn by Republicans, will be used in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The judges dismissed arguments from the NAACP, Common Cause, and several Black and Hispanic voters. These groups claimed the new map was unfair and weakened the voting power of Black voters. The judges, all appointed by Republican presidents, said the map was just partisan gerrymandering. They pointed out that the Supreme Court has said judges can't stop this kind of thing. The groups suing wanted to block the new map, but the judges said they didn't have a strong enough case. Bob Phillips, from Common Cause North Carolina, was not happy with the ruling. He said it would make North Carolina's map the most gerrymandered in state history. North Carolina is one of a few states changing their maps mid-decade. Texas and Missouri have also done this, and other states might follow. Redistricting usually happens every ten years after the census. But this year, Texas Republicans approved a new map to try and flip five Democratic seats. This has started a big national debate about redistricting. The Supreme Court is even involved, deciding whether to block Texas' new map.