Category Archives: redistricting

“A Redistricting Surprise in New York: A Map That Plays Few Favorites”

February 15, 2024, 5:44 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

NYT: When New York’s top court ordered the state to redraw its congressional map late last year, the state’s ruling Democrats were widely expected to exploit the opening to aggressively reshape district lines in their favor. But on Thursday, a… Continue reading

“Wisconsin Republicans vote to weaken their lock on the legislature”

February 14, 2024, 5:41 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Patrick Marley for WaPo: Wisconsin Republicans approved maps Tuesday that would weaken their ironclad grip on the state legislature, backing new district lines supported by the Democratic governor out of fears that the state’s top court could impose ones that… Continue reading

Digging in in the Badger State

February 11, 2024, 11:16 amredistrictingJustin Levitt

Justin here. There’s an oddity in the most recent round of Wisconsin’s redistricting travails. Democratic legislators (and later, the Democratic Governor) seem to be voting against an ostensible olive branch extended by the Republican legislative leadership. And I wonder if… Continue reading

“Civil Rights Groups Secure Victory in LandmarkCase Challenging Racial Discrimination inLouisiana’s State Legislative Maps”

February 8, 2024, 3:30 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Release: In a victory for fair maps, a federal court today ruled in favor of Louisiana voters, agreeing that the current state House and Senate district maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The plaintiffs who challenged the… Continue reading

“Partisan Gerrymandering Cases in State Supreme Courts in the 2020s Redistricting Round”

February 7, 2024, 5:47 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Jonathan Cervas, Bernie Grofman, Scott Matsuda, and Justine Kawa have posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: After the U.S. Supreme Court opted out of any federal court role in policing partisan gerrymandering in its 2019 decision, Rucho… Continue reading

“A Partisan Solution to Partisan Gerrymandering: The Define–Combine Procedure”

January 24, 2024, 10:22 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Maxwell Palmer, Benjamin Schneer and Kevin DeLuca in Political Analysis. Abstract: Redistricting reformers have proposed many solutions to the problem of partisan gerrymandering, but they all require either bipartisan consensus or the agreement of both parties on the… Continue reading

Supreme Court Won’t Interfere in Michigan Case Finding that Its Independent Redistricting Commission Likely Engaged in Racial Gerrymanders in Drawing Legislative District Lines Around Detroit

January 22, 2024, 1:04 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Via Chris Geidner: And, this application out of Michigan — https://t.co/hS5GNOOWmm — was denied. There were no noted dissents. pic.twitter.com/MvOHHSgYq2— Chris “Law Dork” Geidner (@chrisgeidner) January 22, 2024 Here‘s the docket for the case. The Commission has… Continue reading

“Congressional map with Gov. Jeff Landry’s backing clears Louisiana Senate”

January 18, 2024, 7:42 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Louisiana Illuminator: The Louisiana Senate gave its approval Wednesday to a congressional redistricting proposal that increases the number of majority-Black districts to two out of six. Gov. Jeff Landry backs the legislation that faces an end-of-month deadline for approval. Senate … Continue reading

“Democratic law firm challenges Wisconsin’s congressional district lines in filing with state Supreme Court”

January 16, 2024, 4:04 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: A high-powered Democratic law firm is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2024 election, arguing a redistricting decision last month calls into question the battleground state’s current district lines. Elias… Continue reading

‘Wisconsin Supreme Court receives 7 sets of proposed legislative maps in gerrymandering case”

January 13, 2024, 6:40 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: The Wisconsin Supreme Court is now considering a handful of proposed changes to the state’s legislative boundaries after Republicans, Democrats, university professors and partisan law firms submitted options as part of a lawsuit aimed at making the state’s… Continue reading

“Judge orders new North Dakota legislative district for 2 Native American tribes”

January 8, 2024, 1:38 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

AP: A federal judge on Monday ordered a new joint North Dakota legislative district for two Native American tribes that successfully argued a map created through redistricting in 2021 violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting their voting strength. U.S.… Continue reading

“The changing congressional map is shifting the fight for control of the House”

January 8, 2024, 7:59 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Politico: The partisan tilt of a handful of districts could still change dramatically before voters even go to the polls this year — shifting who has the upper hand in the battle for control the House. Republicans hold just a… Continue reading

Cervas, Grofman, Matsuda, and Kawa on partisan gerrymandering and state courts

December 17, 2023, 9:25 amredistrictingDerek Muller

New paper from Jonathan Cervas (Carnegie Mellon), Bernard Grofman (UC-Irvine), Scott Matsuda (NYLS), and Justine Kawa (NYLS), Partisan Gerrymandering Cases in State Supreme Courts in the 2020s Redistricting Round. The abstract: After the U.S. Supreme Court opted out of… Continue reading

Kentucky Supreme Court finds partisan gerrymandering claims justiciable under state constitution, but maps are subject to substantial deference

December 14, 2023, 8:25 amredistrictingDerek Muller

Early coverage in the Lexington Herald Leader is here. The opinion in Graham v. Adams is here. (You can sift through the justices’ opinions about who joined which parts, as some dissented on grounds like standing and justiciability.)… Continue reading