Category Archives: redistricting

North Carolina Supreme Court Schedules March 14 Oral Argument in Rehearing in Harper, the Partisan Gerrymandering Case that Could Moot Moore v. Harper (the Independent State Legislature Case) at SCOTUS

February 10, 2023, 10:09 amlegislation and legislatures, redistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Here is the order. That gives plenty of time for the North Carolina Supreme Court to do what I expect, which is to reverse the earlier holding that partisan gerrymandering violates the North Carolina constitution, before the Supreme Court… Continue reading

Breaking: North Carolina Supreme Court Grants Rehearing in Case Striking Down Congressional Districts as a Partisan Gerrymander, Potentially Mooting U.S. Supreme Court’s Independent State Legislature Case, Moore v. Harper

February 3, 2023, 3:46 pmjudicial elections, legislation and legislatures, redistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

On a 5-2 vote along party lines, the North Carolina Supreme Court has granted rehearing to reconsider its decision striking the state’s congressional districts as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders under the state constitution. It is also considering the state districts as… Continue reading

“Statewide Investigation of California’s 2020 Local Redistricting Cycle Finds Widespread Gerrymandering to Protect Incumbents, Underscores Benefits of Independent Commissions”

January 31, 2023, 9:09 amcitizen commissions, redistrictingRick Hasen

New Common Cause report.

“In Ohio’s Redistricting Redo, a New Justice and a New Speaker Will Steer the Ship”

January 12, 2023, 12:40 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

New at Bolts Mag: It’s Groundhog Day in Columbus. After a protracted redistricting battle last year that saw Republicans adopt a relentless barrage of gerrymanders, only to have them repeatedly struck down by the state supreme court, Ohio must again… Continue reading

“Federal judges strike down SC’s 1st Congressional District as racial gerrymandering” (With Link to 33-page unanimous ruling)

January 6, 2023, 9:06 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Post & Courier: A panel of federal judges in South Carolina has concluded that the state’s coastal 1st Congressional District was drawn in such a way that it discriminates against Black voters and must be redesigned before the end of… Continue reading

“In the End, Redistricting Didn’t Hurt (And May Have Even Helped) House Democrats”

January 6, 2023, 7:06 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Dave Wasserman for Cook Political Report: Amid this week’s chaos, an occasional TV sound byte has been that House Republicans might not even have won their razor-thin majority without a boost from redistricting. After all, our pre-election estimate was a… Continue reading

“Chief justice in Ohio map flap: Court attacks harm democracy”

December 21, 2022, 2:59 pmjudicial elections, redistrictingRick Hasen

AP: Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor isn’t rattled on a personal level by the political attacks she endured from fellow Republicans during Ohio’s protracted redistricting fight. She’s confident she “did the right thing” in ruling their proposed political maps… Continue reading

“Civil Rights Advocates File Federal Lawsuit Over Mississippi’s Racially Gerrymandered Maps”

December 20, 2022, 3:36 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Release: Civil rights advocates today challenged Mississippi’s 2022 state legislative district maps for unlawfully diluting the voting strength of Black Mississippians. The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Mississippi, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP,… Continue reading

The Profound Ahistoricism of Moore v. Harper

December 6, 2022, 1:43 pmredistrictingIndependent State Legislature Doctrine, Moore v. HarperTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow about the scope of state legislative authority to determine “the time, place, and manner” of federal elections. Petitioners’ position is that state legislatures are freed from state constitutional constraints when they make decisions… Continue reading

“Republicans’ Supreme Court argument on redistricting could backfire”

December 2, 2022, 7:01 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Sam Wang oped for WaPo: But if the Republicans win in the U.S. Supreme Court, the result on a national scale would almost certainly benefit Democrats. Why? Because outside North Carolina, only swing states and blue states have curbed… Continue reading

“How redistricting shaped the midterms”

November 25, 2022, 12:33 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Politico: Both parties entered the latest redistricting cycle seeking to press their advantages where they could. The first election held under the new lines showed both succeeded — though Democrats had their most ruthless gerrymanders thrown out in the courts… Continue reading

“Democrats lost their House majority due to Independent Redistricting Commissions; Are IRCs ineffective because they are trumped by Winner Take All elections? Have they outlived their usefulness?”

November 22, 2022, 6:28 pmalternative voting systems, redistrictingRick Hasen

Steven Hill ponders.

“Flip of Michigan Legislature highlights role of fair maps”

November 22, 2022, 10:45 amredistrictingRick Hasen

AP: Democratic candidates for the Michigan House and Senate won a majority of votes this year, translating into their party winning control of both legislative chambers. That may seem like a natural result, but it hasn’t been in previous… Continue reading

“House Democrats’ path back to the majority could run through the Supreme Court”

November 22, 2022, 6:36 amredistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo: Democrats are suing to overturn congressional maps in six states they weren’t able to undo before the midterm elections: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas. If courts side with them, Democrats believe it could be the difference between… Continue reading

Election Law Blog

The law of politics and the politics of law