Category Archives: Voting Rights Act

Analysis: Eleventh Circuit Blocks Preliminary Relief in Florida Voting Case, Saying There Wasn’t Evidence Florida Enacted Its Law with Racially Discriminatory Intent and Blocking Preclearance for Florida’s Voting Laws

May 6, 2022, 7:53 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Back in March, I wrote about a “blockbuster” ruling of a federal district court that not only found some of Florida’s restrictive voting laws illegal; it also found that Florida enacted them with racially discriminatory intent. That finding… Continue reading

The Conservative Case for Proportional Representation

April 29, 2022, 5:37 amalternative voting systems, redistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActNed Foley

In the wake of New York’s redistricting decision this week, Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen urges Congress to reach a bipartisan agreement to end gerrymandering and offers three ways to do that. All three deserve attention, and I suspect that… Continue reading

Travis Crum: Shaw and the City

April 26, 2022, 2:17 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Travis Crum: The 2020 redistricting cycle is well under way. As in past cycles, redistricting suits have targeted statewide maps. That makes sense, as the stakes are higher and voting rights… Continue reading

Florida: “DeSantis-sanctioned congressional map passes after Black lawmaker sit in”

April 21, 2022, 11:36 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

WaPo: The Florida House gave final passage to a new congressional map blessed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) that favors Republicans in as many as four U.S. House seats and erases a seat held by a Black Democrat following… Continue reading

“Wisconsin Supreme Court adopts legislative maps drawn by Republicans”

April 15, 2022, 3:21 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: The Wisconsin Supreme Court embraced a redistricting plan crafted by Republican state lawmakers Friday, three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out election maps drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.States must draw new election maps once… Continue reading

“DeSantis draws congressional map that would dramatically expand GOP’s edge in Florida”

April 14, 2022, 11:54 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

NBC News: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a new congressional map that would create four more Republican-leaning districts and wipe out Democrats’ national redistricting advantage.The map — which would carve up a Black-held district — was released Wednesday… Continue reading

“How Bad Could Things Get for the Voting Rights Act? The Supreme Court Just Gave Us a Preview.”

April 13, 2022, 11:34 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Mike Parsons and Joshua Sellers at the Harvard Law Review Blog.

“Grumet: See you in court? For abortion, yes. Voting rights, maybe not.”

April 13, 2022, 6:32 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Bridget Grumet column in the Austin American-Statesman: Funny. I thought our state leaders wanted regular Texans to help enforce the important stuff.Like that time Gov. Greg Abbott urged “members of the general public” to call ChildProtective Services to report… Continue reading

“Texas is quietly using redistricting lawsuits to launch a broader war against federal voting rights law”

April 4, 2022, 7:11 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Alexa Ura for the Texas Tribune: Beyond the immediate legal fight over whether Texas lawmakers again discriminated against voters of color when drawing new political districts, a quieter war is being waged that could dramatically constrict voting rights protections… Continue reading

Travis Crum: “Bailing in the Sunshine State”

March 31, 2022, 6:17 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Travis Crum: Bail-in is back in the news. In a behemoth 288-page decision in League of Women Voters of Florida v. Lee, a federal district court found that Florida intentionally discriminated against… Continue reading

Breaking: Federal District Court Strikes Down Restrictive Florida Voting Rules, Imposes Requirement That Florida Submit Certain Voting Changes to Court for Preclearance Under Section 3(c) of Voting Rights Act Upon Finding of Intentional Discrimination; Appeal Likely

March 31, 2022, 9:02 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Quite a blockbuster ruling from the federal district court. The court found that in enacting certain election laws limiting registration outreach and the use of drop boxes, Florida violated the Voting Rights Act. The court also found that Florida acted… Continue reading

“Civil rights groups sue to block Louisiana’s congressional map that keeps one Black district”

March 31, 2022, 7:58 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Gannett: A coalition of civil rights groups has filed a lawsuit to block Louisiana’s new congressional map, arguing the boundaries violate the Voting Rights Act because it doesn’t add a second majority-Black district.“The (Legislature) once again voted in favor… Continue reading

“The US supreme court’s assault on voting rights hits a new low”

March 31, 2022, 7:52 amredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Sam Levine for The Guardian: Even for experts who closely follow the US supreme court, there was something stunning about an emergency decision from the justices on Wednesday.In an unexpected move, the court decided to throw out new… Continue reading

“Supreme Court ruling on Wisconsin legislative map puts voting rights advocates on high alert”

March 28, 2022, 7:05 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Jane Timm for NBC News: A Supreme Court order last week blocking Wisconsin’s redistricting map is sparking fresh concerns among advocates that the high court may soon sound the death knell for what’s left of the Voting Rights Act.Experts… Continue reading

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