Category Archives: redistricting

“How Ron DeSantis Blew Up Black-Held Congressional Districts and May Have Broken Florida Law”

October 11, 2022, 10:20 amredistrictingRick Hasen

ProPublica: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was incensed. Late last year, the state’s Republican legislature had drawn congressional maps that largely kept districts intact, leaving the GOP with only a modest electoral advantage.DeSantis threw out the legislature’s work and redrew… Continue reading

“Why Republicans Could Prevail in the Popular Vote but Lose in the House”

October 11, 2022, 7:19 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Nate Cohn for the NYT: Over the last few decades, we’ve gotten accustomed to the idea that Democrats could easily win the popular vote but struggle to win control of government.This time, there’s a chance of a reversal. After years… Continue reading

Redistricting Discussion at Heart of Leaked Racist Discussion by LA City Council Members; Jessica Levinson on the Legal Implications

October 10, 2022, 5:17 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

From the LA Times bombshell report: Still, much of the conversation focused on the maps that had been proposed by the city’s redistricting commission. Martinez voiced frustration that the panel had proposed removing a number of economic assets from her… Continue reading

Supreme Court declines to hear Pennsylvania Redistricting Case raising ISL theory

October 3, 2022, 11:42 amredistricting, Supreme Court, UncategorizedFranita Tolson

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Costello v. Carter, which involved a challenge to Pennsylvania’s court approved congressional map. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted the map after a deadlock between the Republican legislature and the Democratic governor. Notably,… Continue reading

“Gerrymandering Isn’t Giving Republicans the Advantage You Might Expect”

September 30, 2022, 4:58 amredistricting2022 Election CycleTabatha Abu El-Haj

Nate Cohn for The Upshot offers an intricate analysis of the 2022 congressional maps in historical perspective. Lots of interesting graphs to get to his basic take: “In reality, Republicans do have a structural edge in the House, but it… Continue reading

Breaking–N.Y. Court Orders New Maps by April 2023

September 29, 2022, 11:31 amredistricting2022 redistrictingTabatha Abu El-Haj

A New York court has ordered New York’s redistricting commission to reconvene and pass new state assembly maps for legislative consideration by April 28, 2023.

Insightful Preview of Upcoming VRA Case

September 26, 2022, 10:48 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActTabatha Abu El-Haj

Linda Greenhouse has written, John Roberts’s Long Game. Is this the End of the Voting Rights Act?–an insightful preview of Merrill v. Milligan, which will be argued on October 4. The lengthy Atlantic article cuts straight to the point:… Continue reading

“Newly gerrymandered districts might hurt Democrats less than you think”

September 22, 2022, 4:54 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Marion Campisi, Tommy Ratliff, Stephanie Somersille and Ellen Veomett for WaPo’s Monkey Cage: This November, members of Congress will be running in new districts based on the 2020 Census data. So how might the new district maps… Continue reading

“Anti-Gerrymandering Reforms Had Mixed Results”

September 19, 2022, 1:47 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

New analysis from Michael Li of the Brennan Center.

“Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor says she’ll join anti-gerrymandering effort after leaving office”

September 16, 2022, 6:09 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Cleveland.com: Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said Thursday she plans to campaign to try to end gerrymandering in Ohio once she leaves office at the end of the year.O’Connor commented Thursday on her future plans during her… Continue reading

Missouri Files Bonkers Amicus Brief in Moore v. Harper Case Arguing That Not Even Congress Can Limit a State Legislature’s Partisan Gerrymandering

September 6, 2022, 8:53 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The main dispute in Moore v. Harper, currently pending before the Supreme Court, is whether state legislatures may be constrained by other state actors (such as state courts applying state constitutional provisions protecting voting rights) when they pass rules… Continue reading

“New congressional maps dilute Black power, critics say”

September 5, 2022, 6:24 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

AP reports.

“All pain, whose gain? The surprising implications of a new legal theory for redistricting”

August 31, 2022, 1:17 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Sam Wang: Lots of pixels have been spilled on a legal theory once considered fringe, the Independent State Legislature doctrine. This theory threatens to wreak havoc with centuries of election law. Two upcoming Supreme Court redistricting cases cite this… Continue reading

“Can computer simulations help fix democracy?”

August 23, 2022, 7:10 amredistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo: After the release of the 2020 Census, legislatures across the country redrew their states’ congressional district maps, just like they do every decade. And, just like every decade, aggrieved citizens sued them for gerrymandering — the process whereby… Continue reading