North Carolina supreme court strikes down state’s new redistricting maps

In a blow to the Republican legislature, the court rejected the maps saying they infringed upon the fundamental right to vote

A divided North Carolina supreme court struck down the state's new maps for congressional and general assembly seats on Friday, declaring that state courts had authority to throw out lines engineered to secure a long-term Republican advantage in an otherwise closely divided state.

By a 4-3 decision - with the justices who are registered Democrats making up the majority - the state's highest court directed the GOP-controlled legislature to redraw the plans by 18 February and provide an explanation of how they calculated the partisan fairness of the new boundaries.