Judges order 13 Michigan state House and Senate districts to be redrawn

Federal judges in Michigan ruled that 13 of the state's House and Senate districts are unconstitutional and have ordered for them to be redrawn. 

This reverses a major faction of the maps drawn in 2021 by Michigan's inaugural Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, according to the Detroit News.

The ruling came down Thursday and the three-judge panel ordered that the Secretary of State not hold elections in those 13 districts until they are redrawn.

The judges argued the commission's redistricting was based on primary data that was incomplete in order to have Black voting age percentages that would "guarantee a Black-preferred candidate could make it through the primary to the general election," the Detroit News reports. 

"Yet these experts told the commissioners again and again — based on general election data alone — that black-preferred candidates would 'perform well' in these districts," the opinion reads, according to the outlet. "That was a grave disservice to everyone involved with this case, above all the voters themselves." 

The commission has come out and said they are "aware and disappointed" about the decision, and will issue a longer response. 

The Black Detroit Democrats, who challenged the maps, have until Jan. 2 to submit briefs regarding how the districts should be redrawn.