diff --git a/pytato/distributed/partition.py b/pytato/distributed/partition.py
index 68a924c8a..123849132 100644
--- a/pytato/distributed/partition.py
+++ b/pytato/distributed/partition.py
@@ -771,10 +771,6 @@ def find_distributed_partition(
         if isinstance(comm_batches_or_exc, Exception):
             raise comm_batches_or_exc
 
-        comm_batches = cast(
-                Sequence[list[CommunicationOpIdentifier]],
-                comm_batches_or_exc)
-
     # }}}
 
     # {{{ create (local) parts out of batch ids