The Supreme Court announced today that it has granted certification in Jersey City United Against the New Ward Map v. Jersey City Ward Comm’n. The question presented, as phrased by the Supreme Court Clerk’s office, is “In addition to challenges under the Equal Protection Clause and the Civil Rights Act, did the Jersey City election ward maps that were redrawn after the 2020 census violate the compactness requirement of the Municipal Ward Law, N.J.S.A. 40:44-14?”

In an opinion reported at 478 N.J. Super. 132 (App. Div. 2024) and discussed here, the Appellate Division affirmed in part and reversed in part the Law Division’s dismissal of all of plaintiffs’ challenges to the maps. The panel upheld the dismissal of plaintiffs’ constitutional claims of violation of their free speech, free association, and equal protection rights, as well as their claims under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, N.J.S.A. 10:6-1 et seq., and the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq. But the Appellate Division reversed the dismissal of plaintiffs’ claims under the Municipal Ward Law. Now the Supreme Court will have its say.