news-record.com

RALEIGH – The three-judge panel charged with deciding whether the state’s newly drawn legislative and Congressional maps are legal refused this afternoon to delay the state’s elections.

"The plaintiffs, in their challenge, have raised serious questions," said Judge Paul Ridgeway, a Wake County Superior Court judge who delivered the panel's ruling from the bench. He warned that the court's refusal to put elections on hold should not be interpreted as saying the case should go forward.

Rather, Ridgeway cited "practical considerations" that would come into play should the elections be delayed.

North Carolinians are scheduled to vote in primaries this May, and the filing period for candidates opens in early February.

The General Assembly redraws its own legislative districts and Congressional districts every 10 years after the census. The new lines are supposed to make sure that every representative serves roughly the same number of people

Democratic lawmakers as well as a coalition of civil rights and advocacy groups brought suit against the maps, saying they used racial criteria to divide the state. The groups also claimed that the maps illegally carved up counties and precincts, which would create confusion among voters.

"Most importantly, the election goes forward," said Sen. Bob Rucho, a Matthews Republican and one of the chief architects of the new maps.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs could not say immediately whether they would appeal today's ruling.