NY Assembly primaries to proceed; court orders new 2024 maps
NEW YORK — A New York appellate judge is allowing state Assembly elections to proceed this year under redistricting maps drawn by Democrats but ordered lawmakers to revise the maps in time for the 2024 elections.
The maps have come under fire from Republicans and other critics who say the lines signed into law earlier this year give Democrats an unfair advantage.
Friday's ruling affirms an earlier court decision that invalidated the maps drawn by legislative Democrats after a bipartisan redistricting panel could not agree on new lines.
The primary is set for June 28 and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 8.
But the appellate court said there was not enough time to redraw the maps, even if the primary election were to be rescheduled for a later date, perhaps in September.
"The request for a delay of the 2022 assembly primary elections is denied" the ruling stated, "because the redrawing and implementing of a new assembly map before a 2022 primary election delayed even until September is, at this late date, no longer feasible."
The job of redrawing lines could be assigned to a special master.