Category Archives: redistricting

NYT’s The Upshot: New PA Districts Achieve “Partisan Balance”

February 19, 2018, 3:58 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

NYT: In general, partisan balance is not usually a goal when redistricting. You could certainly argue that partisan balance and maximizing the number of competitive districts should be among the criteria, but, in general, they are not. Instead, a nonpartisan… Continue reading

Pa Republicans Going to Fed Court

February 19, 2018, 3:56 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

AP: “Top Senate Republican lawyer Drew Crompton said Monday a separation of powers case will form the essence of the GOP’s argument. Crompton won’t say whether Republicans will go to a district court or the U.S. Supreme Court or what… Continue reading

Pa Supreme Court on 4-3 Vote Adopts Advisor Nate Persily’s Maps for Pennsylvania Congressional Redistricting; GOP’s Litigation Options Do Not Look Good

February 19, 2018, 12:15 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court (with three dissents) [links below] has adopted Nate Persily’s maps for redrawing congressional districts. (One of the districts–18—looks surprisingly like Penn State’s Nittany Lion.) Philly Inquirer: Its plan splits only 13 counties. Of those, four… Continue reading

“Interactive: Compare proposed fixes for Pa.’s gerrymandered congressional map”

February 16, 2018, 1:36 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Nice tool over at Philly.com.

“Don’t Expect Dems To Seek Redistricting Revenge Where They Get The Chance”

February 16, 2018, 7:30 amredistrictingRick Hasen

TPM: The National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), backed by Obama and spearheaded by former Attorney General Eric Holder, is teaming up with other Democratic campaign organizations to target specific governorships, legislative chambers, and ballot initiatives in 2020 with an eye… Continue reading

“Republican bill could allow Arizona Legislature to draw map of voters”

February 16, 2018, 7:26 amdirect democracy, redistrictingRick Hasen

Arizona Republic: Republican state lawmakers are pushing a November ballot proposition that would ask voters to overhaul the panel that draws Arizona’s political boundaries — a move that could affect which party holds power at the state Capitol. The proposition… Continue reading

“Republicans are poised to dominate redistricting again. Can Eric Holder stop them?”

February 14, 2018, 4:30 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo Wonkblog.

“The governor of Pennsylvania rejects Republicans’ new map”

February 14, 2018, 9:10 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Steve Mazie for The Economist.

“Pa. congressional map stalemate edges closer to court-imposed deadline”

February 14, 2018, 7:44 amredistrictingRick Hasen

The latest on the Pa. redistricting battle.

“Experts launch PlanScore.org to allow citizens to evaluate redistricting schemes”

February 14, 2018, 7:25 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Release: PlanScore.org—a new website developed by redistricting experts and Silicon Valley coding experts— allows citizens to upload proposed state districting maps and instantaneously have them scored for partisan symmetry using three widely-accepted measures: the efficiency gap, partisan bias… Continue reading

“Keith Gaddie—Thinking About Gerrymandering”

February 14, 2018, 7:20 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Here’s a video of Keith giving a lecture at the University of Missouri Kinder Institute discussing whether partisanship is too unstable to measure for purposes of discerning partisan gerrrymandering.

Pennsylvania Governor Rejects Republican Legislative Leaders’ Proposed Districting Plan, Meaning Special Master Will Draw Congressional Districts

February 13, 2018, 9:00 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Gov. statement: Governor Tom Wolf today told the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that he will not accept the proposed map Republican legislative leaders submitted because it, too, is a partisan gerrymander that does not comply with the court’s order or Pennsylvania’s… Continue reading

NC: “Wake-Mecklenburg maps stand as GOP drew them, with hours left before candidates file”

February 12, 2018, 1:29 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

News and Observer: A panel of judges rejected a request from Democrats and voters who filed the first lawsuit this decade challenging North Carolina lawmakers’ redistricting plans to provide relief from election districts in Wake and Mecklenburg counties they contend… Continue reading