Why Do Pennsylvania’s Voters Have More Rights Than North Carolina’s?

On Monday, the Supreme Court said it wouldn’t get involved in Pennsylvania’s redistricting case. That means the state’s voters will go to the polls this fall using re-drawn congressional districts that aren’t illegally gerrymandered by the GOP.

But it raises a question: North Carolina’s congressional map also was ruled a Republican gerrymander. It was drawn, an appeals court found, with “invidious partisan intent.” In fact, the court found that two districts were not just partisan gerrymanders but racially discriminatory gerrymanders that reduced the impact of black votes. North Carolina’s map, though, is likely to still be in effect this November.

So why do Pennsylvanians get to use fair(-ish) maps while North Carolinians don’t? Blame SCOTUS, basically.