Supreme Court questions jurisdiction in sweeping election law clash

The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned whether it can still move ahead in a major election law case involving the authority of state legislatures. The justices are hearing an appeal from North Carolina Republican lawmakers of a decision by the state’s top court, which struck down North Carolina’s GOP-drawn voting maps. But that underlying decision was overruled last week, and the Supreme Court in a brief, unsigned order has asked for additional briefing on whether it still has jurisdiction. The development is the latest sign the justices may be heading toward an off-ramp in the high-stakes case, which has weighty stakes for future elections.