By Chris Fitzsimon

N.C. Policy Watch

7 — number of days since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that legislative districts drawn by the General Assembly in 2011 were unconstitutional because of racial gerrymandering but declined to order 2017 elections, leaving that up to the lower courts

0 — number of dissenting votes on the Supreme Court in the decision to affirm the lower court ruling that the legislative districts were racially gerrymandered

305 — number of days since a three-judge federal panel first ruled that the legislative districts were unconstitutional because of racial gerrymandering (Sandra Little Covington, et al., plaintiffs, vs the State of North Carolina, et al., defendants, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina)

216 — number of days since the 2016 election was held with unconstitutional legislative districts in place

3 — number of General Assembly elections held since 2012 with districts that federal courts have since found to be unconstitutional

195 — number of days since a three-judge federal panel reaffirmed that the legislative districts were unconstitutional because of racial gerrymandering and ordered new elections in 2017

5 — number of days since Gov. Roy Cooper called a special session of the General Assembly to draw new legislative districts to replace the ones found unconstitutional by the federal courts

4 — number of days since House and Senate leaders refused to convene a special session to redraw the unconstitutional districts

3 — number of days since the three-judge federal panel released a memorandum calling on legislative leaders and the state to submit statements to the court about how they plan to respond to concerns from the plaintiffs in the case “as expeditiously as possible.” (“Breaking: Court tells parties in racial gerrymandering case it intends to act promptly,” Progressive Pulse June 10, 2017)

512 — number of days until the next scheduled general election on November 6, 2018 (N.C. State Board of Elections)

15 — number of years since GOP attorney Thomas Farr argued before the court to dramatically change the election schedule because it was “paramount to correct the irreparable harm” to the voters of the gerrymandered districts (“GOPers bizarrely celebrate Supreme Court decision confirming they violated the Constitution,” Progressive Pulse June 5, 2017)

15 — number of years since the primary election for the General Assembly was held in September after a judge redrew the legislative districts after finding that they were illegally gerrymandered (N.C. State Board of Elections)

Fitzsimon is founder and executive director of N.C. Policy Watch.