NJ Court Rejects Challenge to Recent Redistricting

A New Jersey appeals court has unanimously rejected a challenge to the state's legislative map by a tea party group and others.

The map was approved by a 6-5 vote after a panel of five Republicans and five Democrats voted for competing maps. The tie-breaking vote was cast by Rutgers University political science professor Alan Rosenthal, who sided with the Democrats.

The contentious process of drawing a new map is done every 10 years following the U.S. Census.

In their lawsuit, a group identifying itself as the Bayshore Tea Party Group claimed the map violated the state and federal constitution because it splits up counties too much.

They also claimed it gave voters in less-populous northern districts more weight than voters in more-populous southern districts.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)