A Congressional district that runs through the heart of the Triad may be headed back to the drawing board, and time is running out to fix it before the start of the state's primary.
A federal three-judge panel found that mapmakers used race as the main factor in drawing the 1st and 12th districts. By doing so, the districts had more black voters than they needed to ensure minority representation.
The court also determined that by packing minority voters into those two districts, it diluted their political power in the districts surrounding them. The 12th district includes parts of Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, and the seat is held by Democrat Alma Adams.
The court found another minority district - N.C.'s 1st District - was also racially gerrymandered. That district runs from Durham to New Bern.
The start of early voting for the March primary is a little over three weeks away. The court has given lawmakers just two weeks to redraw the districts, but an appeal is likely.
Architects of the maps have defended them, saying they're both fair and legal.
The ruling comes two months after the maps were upheld by the state's highest court by a close 4-3 margin.