Category Archives: redistricting

“U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments in appeal of Virginia racial gerrymandering case”

March 17, 2019, 5:54 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

WaPo: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday in a redistricting case that could help determine the balance of power in Virginia’s legislature for years to come.A panel of lower-court judges ruled last year that 11 Virginia House… Continue reading

Oral Advocates Announced for Partisan Gerrymandering SCOTUS Arguments March 26

March 15, 2019, 2:50 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

From the hearing list:

“California’s independent redistricting rules could offer some hope for Republicans”

March 10, 2019, 5:15 pmcitizen commissions, redistrictingRick Hasen

John Myers for the LAT: California government auditors will begin accepting applications in June from citizens who would like to help redraw the state’s congressional and legislative maps, a task with enormous political consequences.The once-a-decade redistricting process will also offer… Continue reading

“Prison Gerrymandering Distorts Our Democracy in the Worst Ways”

March 9, 2019, 11:20 amredistrictingJustin Levitt

The Nation on the piece of HR 1 that would require the Census to count people who are incarcerated at their last known address. The Census Bureau requested comment on the issue several times in the last few years, but… Continue reading

“Only One Roadblock on the Road to Reform: Mitch McConnell”

March 9, 2019, 11:20 amcampaign finance, election administration, Elections Clause, Fixing Election Administration, legislation and legislatures, redistricting, The Voting Wars, voter registrationJustin Levitt

The NY Times Editorial Board calls HR 1 the “Merrick Garland of reform legislation.”

More on the Census Bureau’s collection of administrative citizenship data

March 9, 2019, 11:19 amredistrictingJustin Levitt

The Washington Post goes deeper on this story, of the Census Bureau collecting administrative data (including citizenship information) to bolster household-by-household census results.

Amicus Briefs Supporting Plaintiffs in the MD/NC Partisan Gerrymandering Cases Are In

March 8, 2019, 4:51 pmredistrictingJustin Levitt

At least 31 so far, here (MD) and here (NC).

H.R. 1 Coverage Roundup

March 8, 2019, 11:16 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, election administration, Elections Clause, Fixing Election Administration, legislation and legislatures, redistricting, voter registrationJustin Levitt

AP NPR CBS CNN Fox NBC New York Times Washington Post USA Today Wall St. Journal HuffPost Mother Jones TPM Vox The Hill (and here, and here) Roll Call The Guardian Tampa Bay Times (bonus: zombies!)

House Passes H.R. 1

March 8, 2019, 11:15 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, election administration, Elections Clause, felon voting, Fixing Election Administration, legislation and legislatures, redistricting, voter registration, votingJustin Levitt

Final vote: 234-193. UPDATE: The text of the whole thing [will be] here. (As of 7:30pm ET on 3/8/19, the only text appears to be from an earlier version: the version actually considered is a combination of this… Continue reading

Pushback to the 2018 Missouri redistricting citizens’ initiative

March 7, 2019, 11:47 ampolitical parties, redistrictingJustin Levitt

The Springfield News-Leader reports: Last fall, Missouri voters approved a one-of-a-kind plan to root out partisan gerrymandering with 62 percent of the vote. Republicans unhappy with the changes are now trying to roll them back. Five GOP lawmakers, including… Continue reading

“Ahead of court ruling, Census Bureau seeks citizenship data”

March 6, 2019, 6:14 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtJustin Levitt

The AP has more on the latest at the Census Bureau. I think this is an effort to gather the administrative data that Census employees said would be more effective at assessing statistical citizenship rates, with fewer downsides for public… Continue reading

“Second Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Census Citizenship Question Plans”

March 6, 2019, 3:09 pmchicanery, redistricting, Supreme Court, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

Big (and voluminous) news from California: in a 126-page opinion, Judge Seeborg has enjoined the inclusion of a question regarding citizenship on the 2020 census. The decision follows on Judge Furman’s opinion out of New York, but is more… Continue reading

Stay of NC State Ct Order Voiding Voter ID Amendment Because Enacted by Impermissibly Gerrymandered Legislature

March 6, 2019, 3:03 pmredistricting, voter idJustin Levitt

On February 22, Rick noted that a North Carolina state trial court had voided a constitutional amendment pertaining to voter ID, because the amendment had been put on the ballot by a legislature elected pursuant to an unconstitutional gerrymander. … Continue reading