Supreme Court halts redrawing of New York congressional district

"A majority of the justices sided with Malliotakis and other Republicans but did not explain their reasoning. The order said the lower court process to draw a new map should not proceed while the state court appeals play out, as well as a possible Supreme Court appeal."

"That would provide a way of achieving what full review would not permit: the use of an unconstitutional district in the November election and the election of a Member of the House of Representatives whose entitlement to the office would be tainted."

"In January, a state judge found that the current map, which joins Staten Island with Brooklyn to form the seat represented by Malliotakis, violated a provision in the state constitution by minimizing the power of minority voters."

The Supreme Court issued an unsigned order pausing New York's court-mandated redistricting of the Staten Island-based congressional seat held by Republican Nicole Malliotakis. A state court had ordered redistricting after finding the current map violated the state constitution by discriminating against minority voters. The Republican-backed Supreme Court majority sided with Malliotakis, halting the redistricting process while appeals proceed. Justice Alito wrote separately, criticizing the state court's order as discriminatory and arguing that implementing new maps before elections could taint the results. The Court emphasized that disrupting the electoral process at this stage would be problematic, as candidate petition periods had already begun.

Read at Miami Herald