There are some closely watched Supreme Court cases coming up that may determine if the judicial branch will take action on the worst abuses of redistricting. The latest news comes from a statement released by the public policy organization Demos:

Demos and other democracy organizations have submitted an amicus brief in the partisan gerrymandering cases before the Supreme Court, Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek. The cases involve North Carolina’s 2016 congressional districting map and Maryland’s 2011 congressional map.

A federal district court found that the North Carolina map violates the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause, and Article I of the United States Constitution. Another federal court found that the Maryland plan violates the First Amendment. Both maps are examples of extreme partisan gerrymandering.

“Partisan gerrymandering distorts the political system,” said Chiraag Bains, Director of Legal Strategies at Demos. “It’s often accompanied by the cracking and packing of voters of color to sap their political influence. Partisan gerrymandering threatens the foundation of representative democracy and frustrates the ability of voters to hold their elected officials accountable.”