A federal court blocked Texas from using new Republican-drawn voting maps for the 2026 midterms, ruling they were racially gerrymandered, and ordered the state to use its 2021 congressional lines instead.

Governor Greg Abbott has appealed to the Supreme Court.

The maps, passed in August, added five Republican-leaning districts, while similar disputes over redistricting have occurred in California and Utah, the BBC has reported.

Critics argue gerrymandering allows politicians to choose voters rather than the other way around.