In 2016, Common Cause filed a lawsuit in response to congressional districts drawn by the North Carolina legislature, calling the map a partisan gerrymander that violated the U.S. Constitution.

Partisan gerrymandering, or the act of creating electoral districts that favor one party over another, silences voters and robs them of the ability to elect the candidates of their choice.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled in 2019 that partisan gerrymanders cannot be challenged in federal court, Common Cause’s extensive work using the case to educate the public resulted in unprecedented nationwide attention on the need for redistricting reform.

In the wake of the decision, Common Cause is turning its attention to winning reforms in the states.

Why does this fight matter?

As long as partisan politicians and party insiders have the ability to draw districts with no restrictions behind closed doors, they will use it to their own advantage. That is why the only guaranteed, permanent solution to gerrymandering is to loosen the stranglehold that self-interested lawmakers have on the process.

Common Cause has committed to multiple state-level fights to pass impartial redistricting reforms—like independent citizens’ commissions guided by partisan balance, clear nonpartisan standards, and transparency—to ensure that every vote counts and every voter is fairly represented.

What happens now?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to end gerrymandering. We are fighting to overturn unfair maps in state courts, as well as working on anti-gerrymandering ballot initiatives and legislative proposals in states across the country.

But we cannot win this fight in one fell swoop. We will need to put in the work, state by state and map by map. That is why Common Cause is prepared to fight for the long haul and do whatever it takes to make sure the people—not partisan political insiders—call the shots in our democracy.