In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that the GOP-drawn electoral maps violated the state’s constitution because lines minimized the influence of Democratic voters. In a tweet, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said, “The maps violate a voter’s fundamental right to vote.”

The maps would have given Republicans a good chance of winning 11 Congressional seats, compared with three for Democrats, despite voters in the state being closely divided between the two parties. Now, the North Carolina General Assembly has until Feb. 18th at 5pm to submit new maps. 

For more on this, The Takeaway spoke with Derwin Montgomery, a former Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly.