U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Friday temporarily paused a lower court ruling barring the use of a new voting map approved by Texas legislators in August that could add five more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives.

His order gave the challengers to the state’s new map, including several civil rights groups, until Monday to respond to Texas officials’ emergency request earlier on Friday to revive the map, and also provided the high court with a bit more time to consider the matter. The Dec. 8 filing deadline for congressional candidates in Texas is fast approaching, and the court-mandated flip-flopping of electoral maps is causing chaos among candidates of all parties who are deciding where, and whether, to run.

Last week, a panel of federal judges in Texas sided

See Full Page