Story highlights The Supreme Court struck down two congressional district maps in North Carolina on May 22

The ruling was a victory for the black North Carolina voters

Washington (CNN) The Supreme Court affirmed Monday a three-judge district court's finding that 28 state legislative districts drawn by the North Carolina legislature were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders, but vacated the lower court's order for special elections in response.

The Supreme Court's decision leaves open for the lower court to conduct a new hearing on whether the state should have special elections.

The ruling is in response to the three-judge panel determining in August 2016 that 28 of the state's legislative districts were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. Monday's decision is yet another slap down of the North Carolina legislature from the Supreme Court.

On May 22, the Supreme Court struck down two congressional district maps in North Carolina, holding the state had engaged in an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

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