Story perspectives

SC House Demands Two-Thirds Senate Vote, Redistricting Clash

5/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

South Carolina House approved a sine-die amendment that now requires a two-thirds Senate vote to move the redistricting plan forward.
Over 6,000 absentee ballots mailed for the June primary would cost taxpayers $2.5 million if discarded.
Former DNC chair Jaime Harrison testified the proposed map is a partisan “DEI” jigsaw puzzle.
President Donald Trump called Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey twice urging rapid redistricting while some Republican senators delayed the vote.

History

Historical Context

The 1962 Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr, decided 5-4, ruled that redistricting disputes are justiciable, creating the “one person, one vote” rule later reinforced by Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) and Reynolds v. Sims (1964). Today South Carolina’s Senate map draws criticism from the state House and Donald Trump, reviving the Court’s warning that partisan gerrymanders may trigger federal review.

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Story summary

South Carolina House approved a sine-die amendment that now requires a two-thirds Senate vote to move the redistricting plan forward.
Over 6,000 absentee ballots mailed for the June primary would cost taxpayers $2.5 million if discarded.
Former DNC chair Jaime Harrison testified the proposed map is a partisan “DEI” jigsaw puzzle.
President Donald Trump called Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey twice urging rapid redistricting while some Republican senators delayed the vote.

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