Category Archives: Voting Rights Act

As Federal Options Close, Remember States

November 29, 2021, 7:17 amvoting, Voting Rights ActTabatha Abu El-Haj

With a Supreme Court that is borderline hostile to voting rights and Congress in perpetual gridlock, it is no wonder voters and their advocates are despairing. Still, fade out the polarization noise, and the fact of the matter is that … Continue reading

“New maps spark debate over majority-minority districts”

November 25, 2021, 12:46 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

AP: For decades, the widely accepted strategy was to group together Black voters so they comprised a majority in a statehouse or congressional district. That principle was enshrined in the federal Voting Rights Act, which requires the creation of… Continue reading

“In historic vote, O.C. supervisors approve majority-Latino district for five-member board”

November 23, 2021, 7:15 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

LAT: In a historic vote, the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Monday created a majority-Latino district for the first time while also giving power to Asian voters.The lines for the supervisors’ districts, redone once a decade after the national… Continue reading

“Ohio Republicans’ redistricting map dilutes Black voters’ power in Congress, critics say”

November 22, 2021, 6:50 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

WaPo reports.

“As Gerrymanders Get Worse, Legal Options to Overturn Them Dwindle”

November 21, 2021, 11:17 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Michael Wines for the NYT: Voting-rights advocates are in a North Carolina state court in Raleigh this month, arguing in three lawsuits that Republican gerrymanders of the State Legislature and the state’s 14 seats in the House of… Continue reading

“Latino, Asian American, LGBTQ activists: They want to shape California’s congressional maps”

November 21, 2021, 11:05 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

LAT: Activists are urging the creation of a congressional district that links LGBTQ populations in Long Beach and coastal northern Orange County. Civil-rights groups say a plan to split up a Los Angeles-area district — the most heavily Latino in … Continue reading

“Ohio Republicans’ redistricting map dilutes Black voters’ power in Congress, critics say”

November 19, 2021, 4:54 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActTabatha Abu El-Haj

Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post Legal challenge, including on state constitutional grounds, expected if Governor Mike DeWine signs the new map into law. Either way, “the map will only be in effect for four years, since fewer than one-third of legislative… Continue reading

Breaking—Alabama’s New Political Maps Challenged as Racial Gerrymanders

November 15, 2021, 6:23 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActTabatha Abu El-Haj

ACLU Press Release Individual voters joined with civil rights and faith groups, including the Greater Birmingham Ministries and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, to file a pair of lawsuits challenging Alabama’s newly drawn political maps for state legislative… Continue reading

Ins and Outs of Section 2 Litigation–hold on for an interesting ride

November 15, 2021, 1:55 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActTabatha Abu El-Haj

Michael Li notes on Twitter “Texas is arguing that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act does not offer plaintiffs a private cause of action.” I suspect we are going to be seeing a lot of imaginative Section 2 arguments… Continue reading

“The Consequences of Redistricting Without a Safety Net”

November 11, 2021, 4:23 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Michael Barajas for the Texas Observer: For decades, the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to protect minority voters by forcing Texas and other states with a history of race-based voter suppression to clear changes to election laws,… Continue reading

U.S. Department of Justice Sues Texas Over Parts of New Election Law That Limit Assistance to Voters and That Disqualify Mail-in Ballots for Minor Errors

November 4, 2021, 2:28 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

You can find the complaint here.

Is Joe Manchin Deluding Himself or Trying to Delude Others on Voting Rights?

November 3, 2021, 1:21 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Politico: Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a fourth Democratic attempt to begin considering elections and voting legislation on the floor, casting fresh doubt on the majority party’s ability to enact any type of reform this Congress.In a 50-49 vote,… Continue reading

“U.S. Senate Democrats return to voting rights with eye on filibuster”

November 3, 2021, 6:58 amVoting Rights Act, VRAARick Hasen

Reuters: U.S. Senate Democrats will try to advance voting rights legislation in the face of overwhelming Republican opposition for a fourth time on Wednesday, amid pressure to break the deadlock by altering a key Senate rule as early as this… Continue reading

“Could Los Angeles lose a Black congressional seat?”

November 2, 2021, 12:55 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

LAT: Rep. Karen Bass’ congressional district encompasses some of the most historically important African American communities in the western United States, including the “Black Beverly Hills” of Ladera Heights, the West Coast rap scene of Crenshaw and the vibrant cultural … Continue reading