Category Archives: redistricting

“The Missing Link in Gerrymandering Jurisprudence”

September 12, 2017, 2:26 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Ned Foley on Whitford: Thus, this new computer-assisted statistical approach can be used to identify what the constitutional principle was looking for: an egregious partisan gerrymander. Strictly defined, and precisely measured, an egregious partisan gerrymander is one that is identified… Continue reading

Maryland Challengers to Partisan Gerrymandering Seek Supreme Court Review

September 11, 2017, 9:15 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Jurisdictional statement in Benisek v. Lamone: This case is a First Amendment challenge to the partisan gerrymander of a single federal congressional district. Plaintiffs allege that state officials responsible for Maryland’s 2011 congressional redistricting plan targeted them for vote dilution… Continue reading

Three Judge Court Explains Why NC Congressional Partisan Gerrymandering Case Will Go Forward Despite Whitford

September 8, 2017, 6:45 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Opinion rejecting request for stay pending resolution of the Whitford partisan gerrymandering case at SCOTUS.

Oops Dept: “Two NC Republicans say they accidentally asked the Supreme Court to end gerrymandering”

September 8, 2017, 2:00 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

News and Observer: Two of the three North Carolina lawmakers who had joined with prominent national politicians to oppose gerrymandering have now backtracked, saying they didn’t mean to add their names on an anti-gerrymandering letter sent to the Supreme Court.… Continue reading

League of Women Voters Amicus in Whitford

September 8, 2017, 1:20 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Another amicus supporting the challengers.

“A Vote Is a Terrible Thing to Waste”

September 8, 2017, 7:39 amredistrictingRick Hasen

WNYC: Breitbart was the Senate Democrats’ point man for redistricting. But though he grew up in a Democratic household and still identifies with its values, he’s not exactly fond of his native political party. “Legislative redistricting in New York isn’t… Continue reading

Issacharoff and Grossman: ACLU: Partisan Gerrymandering Undermines the Integrity of Elections, Violates Right to Cast a Meaningful Ballot

September 7, 2017, 2:45 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Sam Issacharoff and Perry Grossman who worked on this amicus brief in the Whitford case: In his concurrence in Vieth v. Jubilirer, Justice Kennedy suggested that the First Amendment provides a “sounder and… Continue reading

“What is Extreme Gerrymandering? Understanding how extreme partisan gerrymandering works.”

September 7, 2017, 12:35 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Michael Li and Alexis Farmer for the Brennan Center.

“Republicans split over gerrymandering case headed to Supreme Court”

September 7, 2017, 7:15 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Bob Barnes for WaPo: A long list of prominent Republicans is urging the Supreme Court to find that extreme partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, saying the practice of drawing electoral lines to benefit one party or another is detrimental to democracy.… Continue reading

“Prominent Republicans Urge Supreme Court to End Gerrymandering”

September 6, 2017, 7:27 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Adam Liptak for the NYT: Breaking ranks with many of their fellow Republicans, a group of prominent politicians filed briefs on Tuesday urging the Supreme Court to rule that extreme political gerrymandering — the drawing of voting districts to give… Continue reading

“Reapportionment, Nonapportionment, and Recovering Some Lost History of One-Person, One Vote”

September 6, 2017, 7:22 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Pam Karlan has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, William and Mary Law Review). Here is the abstract: The Constitution requires a decennial “Enumeration” of the U.S. population, following which seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned among the… Continue reading

Lots of Amicus Briefs in Gill v. Whitford, the WI Partisan Gerrymandering Case

September 5, 2017, 3:51 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Via the Brennan Center, here are a number of interesting amicus briefs filed today supporting the challengers to Wisconsin’s redistricting (there are still more briefs coming—update: more posted here): Heather K. Gerken, Jonathan N. Katz, Gary King, Larry … Continue reading

Plaintiffs File #SCOTUS Opposition to Texas Stay Request in Congressional Redistricting Case

September 5, 2017, 9:32 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Read it here.

ELB Podcast Episode 18. Eric McGhee and Nick Stephanopoulos: Whitford, the Efficiency Gap, and the Future of Partisan Gerrymandering

September 5, 2017, 7:17 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Is the Supreme Court ready to finally rein in partisan gerrymandering? Can social science give us a manageable standard to decide when there’s too much politics in redistricting? Is the “efficiency gap” Justice Kennedy’s holy grail? On Episode 18 of… Continue reading