Category Archives: Voting Rights Act

“Flood of Voting Laws Confront Rights Enforcers With Uphill Fight”

February 9, 2022, 6:49 amDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Bloomberg Law: The Justice Department’s voting section faces significant hurdles in challenging new state election laws and redrawn maps that Democrats say will suppress or dilute minority votes.The newly staffed-up section of the Civil Rights Division that’s already… Continue reading

Watch Video of Laura Coates Interview Derrick Johnson and Me at CNN on Supreme Court’s Stay in Alabama Voting Rights Redistricting Case

February 8, 2022, 8:35 pmredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Watch here:

“The grim fate of the Voting Rights Act in the hands of the Supreme Court”

February 8, 2022, 4:50 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Nick Stephanopoulos WaPo oped: Will anything be left of the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court finishes with it? It’s looking pretty grim. In 2013, the Supreme Court dismantled the part of the law that required states… Continue reading

“The Supreme Court may completely hollow out the Voting Rights Act by 2024”

February 8, 2022, 2:04 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Joan Biskupic CNN analysis.

Breaking and Analysis: Supreme Court on 5-4 Vote Stays District Court Order Requiring Alabama to Draw Second Black Majority District, and the Signs for the Voting Rights Act are Ominous

February 7, 2022, 3:38 pmredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The Supreme Court issued a stay in the Alabama congressional Voting Rights Act case I wrote about last week and set the case (actually two related cases) for argument. This is bad news in the short run and likely worse… Continue reading

Alabama, in Its Stay Application Before the Supreme Court, Asks the Conservative Court to Cut Back the Scope of Voting Rights Act in Redistricting Cases, With Potentially Major Voting Rights Implications

February 3, 2022, 1:43 pmredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

I have now had a chance to review Alabama’s request for stays in 2 related cases (21A375 and 21A376). This post is going to get wonky and technical, so let me begin with the bottom line: if and… Continue reading

“Ga. Judge Won’t Toss Black Voters’ Redistricting Challenge”

January 29, 2022, 7:22 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Law360: A Georgia federal judge rejected on Friday Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit by Black voters and civil rights organizations challenging Georgia’s new redistricting maps for allegedly diluting Black voting power.U.S. District Judge Steve C.… Continue reading

Breaking: Alabama Seeks Supreme Court Order Blocking Requirement for State to Create Second Black Majority Congressional District, Queueing Up First Major Test of Voting Rights Act in New Decade of Redistricting

January 28, 2022, 1:38 pmredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

You can find the application at this link. The Supreme Court is likely to first grant a brief administrative stay while it decides what to do on the stay application. It would not be surprising to see the Court set… Continue reading

“Texas violated voting rights law during redistricting, retiring state GOP senator says in sworn court statement”

January 27, 2022, 11:58 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Texas Tribune: In a sworn declaration submitted as part of an ongoing federal court challenge, a senior Republican state senator with redistricting experience said he believes his party violated federal voting laws when it drew new boundaries for state Senate… Continue reading

“Black and Latino voters have been shortchanged in redistricting, advocates and some judges say”

January 26, 2022, 7:03 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

WaPo: New congressional maps are completed in more than half the country, and so far Democrats have been spared the redistricting losses they endured a decade ago, a small mercy for their efforts to cling to their fragile House… Continue reading

WaPo “Factchecker” on “Jim Crow 2.0” Senate debate

January 11, 2022, 3:18 amDepartment of Justice, voting, Voting Rights ActNed Foley

Accurately describing itself as a “reader service,” this new Fact Checker analysis carefully details the arguments on both sides and the relevant provisions of the new laws in key states (like Georgia and Texas), including the DOJ and other lawsuits… Continue reading

“Detroit lawmakers plan to challenge redistricting maps over racial fairness”

January 3, 2022, 11:16 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Detroit News: A group of Detroit lawmakers said Monday they plan to file suit in the Michigan Supreme Court over redistricting maps they argue disenfranchise Black candidates and, by extension, Black voters. The congressional, state Senate and state House… Continue reading

“Georgia redistricting signed into law and lawsuits quickly follow”

December 31, 2021, 11:13 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

AJC: Gov. Brian Kemp signed new Georgia political maps into law Thursday, finalizing Republican efforts to solidify their majorities in a rapidly changing state as opponents immediately filed three court challenges.The once-a-decade redistricting creates boundaries that give Republicans… Continue reading

“‘They know where Black voters live’: Challengers say ‘race blind’ redistricting maps are anything but”

December 29, 2021, 4:04 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

CNN: In states like Texas and North Carolina, Republican lawmakers in charge of redrawing the political maps for the next decade say that the new plans are “race blind.” Their opponents in court say that the claim is implausible… Continue reading