Category Archives: redistricting

“Why Asking About Citizenship Could Make the Census Less Accurate”

January 19, 2018, 7:45 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Lynn Vavreck for NYT’s The Upshot: The government dedicates tremendous resources to reminding people to return their census form and even sends people to the doors of households from which no form has been filed. Mostly, it gets results. But… Continue reading

“The Supreme Court Is Finally Tackling Gerrymandering”

January 19, 2018, 7:35 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Bloomberg Businessweek, with the subhead: “Academics give SCOTUS cover to rule on extreme cases of redistricting.”

Breaking: Supreme Court, with Two Dissents, Stays Order to Redraw Congressional Districts After Lower Court Finding of a Partisan Gerrymander

January 18, 2018, 3:41 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

This just in: The application for stay presented to The Chief Justice and by him referred to the Court is granted, and it is ordered that the order of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North… Continue reading

North Carolina Files Reply Brief for Stay in Partisan Gerrymandering Case; Supreme Court Can Issue Ruling at Any Time

January 18, 2018, 1:51 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Paul Clement’s reply brief for North Carolina. Here’s what I wrote last week about the stay request’s chances: Meanwhile, Paul Clement just filed a stay motion in the North Carolina partisan gerrymandering case, where the lower court had just… Continue reading

Maryland: “Governor Larry Hogan Announces Nonpartisan Redistricting Reform Legislation, Joins Amicus Brief; Governor Will Support Plaintiffs in Benisek v. Lamone”

January 18, 2018, 1:28 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Republican governor in Democratic state will sign brief arguing the Supreme Court should rein in partisan gerrymandering.

Pennsylvania Republicans Hint at U.S. Supreme Court Appeal in State Gerrymandering Case

January 17, 2018, 8:46 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Today the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case arguing that Pennsylvania’s congressional districts violate the state Constitution. Ordinarily a ruling on state constitutional grounds cannot be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, because there are no federal… Continue reading

“Don’t ‘reward gamesmanship and obstinacy,’ NC gerrymander challengers say”

January 17, 2018, 8:38 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

News and Observer: Attorneys representing voters who successfully challenged North Carolina’s congressional districts as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders are protesting lawmakers’ attempt to use the election maps again this year. U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts had given attorneys until noon… Continue reading

“Rutgers law expert: 3 ways to make every vote count”

January 17, 2018, 1:54 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Frank Askin oped: There is an important political campaign being waged all across the country with relatively little publicity, but potentially enormous consequences, over the issue of legislative gerrymandering.

Updated: Read the Opposition to SCOTUS Stay Request in North Carolina Congressional Partisan Gerrymandering Case

January 17, 2018, 11:00 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

You can read it here. A snippet: [Update: Here is a second opposition to the stay request.]

“Pennsylvania Could Be On The Verge Of Dealing Partisan Gerrymandering A Big Blow”

January 17, 2018, 7:57 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Sam Levine for HuffPo: Pennsylvania’s highest court could be on the verge of setting unprecedented limits on how much politicians can redraw electoral districts to their party’s advantage, a decision that would have profound legal and political consequences both in… Continue reading

“Adventures in Extreme Gerrymandering: See the Fair and Wildly Unfair Maps We Made for Pennsylvania”

January 17, 2018, 7:37 amredistrictingRick Hasen

NYT’s The Upshot: This week, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will consider whether the state’s harshly gerrymandered congressional map violates the state’s constitution. The case is happening early enough in the year that the court could order a redrawn map ahead… Continue reading

Supreme Court Dismisses Texas Democratic Party Petition Raising Partisan Gerrymandering Case, After Agreeing to Hear Texas Appeal on Voting Rights Act and Racial Gerrymandering Issues

January 16, 2018, 7:45 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I noted on Friday the Supreme Court’s order to hear two Texas redistricting appeals raising claims under the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution (including racially discriminatory intent and racial gerrymandering claims). I also noted that the Court did not… Continue reading