Category Archives: redistricting

“Texas Will Hold Another Election Without a Ruling on Redistricting”

August 30, 2016, 9:11 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

KUT: A legal battle over some of the state’s political districts still isn’t over. About half a decade ago, a group of Texas voters sued the state claiming the legislature’s 2011 redistricting maps discriminated against minorities. About two years ago,… Continue reading

“Illinois redistricting referendum won’t appear on ballot”

August 25, 2016, 8:43 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

AP: A divided Illinois Supreme Court narrowly ruled Thursday that a voter referendum seeking to change how Illinois draws political boundaries is unconstitutional, making it ineligible to appear on the November ballot. The high court, in a 4-3 decision, affirmed… Continue reading

“Opinion: Three ways Congress can muscle-up to your voting rights”

August 22, 2016, 7:27 amcampaign finance, redistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Michael Golden and Larry Lessig in the Chicago Sun-Times: Fortunately, some in Congress are working toward a solution. Just before the national conventions, the House Democratic leadership announced its “By The People” (BTP) legislative package. These reforms, backed by 187… Continue reading

“Should it be legal to have a congressional district only one party can win?”

August 15, 2016, 9:48 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

David Savage of the LAT reports on partisan gerrymandering cases working their way to #SCOTUS.

Breaking: 3-Judge Court Unanimously Rules NC State Districts Unconstitutional Racial Gerrymander

August 11, 2016, 11:44 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

A unanimous 3-judge court (including the district court judge who recently upheld North Carolina’s strict voting law) has held in a 167-page opinion that challenged North Carolina legislative districts are unconstitutional racial gerrymanders and need to be redrawn. This ruling… Continue reading

“Quick and Dirty: The New Misreading of the Voting Rights Act”

August 11, 2016, 7:29 amredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The final version of Justin Levitt’s must read piece on the relationship between the VRA’s districting requirements and racial gerrymandering claims is now out from the FSU Law Review and available at SSRN. It is just in time as the… Continue reading

“Make Democracy Count: The Harmful Impact of Partisan Gerrymandering on Voters and Our Democracy”

August 10, 2016, 8:24 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Release: The Campaign Legal Center, which is litigating the landmark case Whitford v. Gill to end partisan gerrymandering, today released a report, Make Democracy Count: Ending Partisan Gerrymandering. The report highlights the impact partisan gerrymandering, or the drawing… Continue reading

Daily Show on Donald Trump’s “Rigging Election” Comments

August 9, 2016, 8:50 pmchicanery, election law "humor", redistricting, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Watch.

“Fed Court Rules Wake County Must Use 2011 Voting Maps in November Elections”

August 9, 2016, 8:26 amredistrictingRick Hasen

ABC 11 reports, and posts the judge’s opinion.

“Common Cause suit challenges partisan gerrymandering in NC”

August 5, 2016, 10:33 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Charlotte Observer. They’ll have to get in line. There’s already a partisan gerrymandering claim from NC pending in an appeal at the Supreme Court, and ongoing partisan gerrymandering litigation in Wisconsin and Maryland. All in an effort to shape… Continue reading

Plaintiffs Challenging NC Redistricting Go to #SCOTUS Claiming Partisan Gerrymander

August 3, 2016, 2:28 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Here is the jurisdictional statement in Harris v. McCrory. I believe this is the first case raising issues of partisan gerrymandering to make it to the Supreme Court since Justice Scalia’s passing. Will they touch it? I don’t know. One… Continue reading

Litigants to TX Redistricting 3-Judge Court: We are BEGGING You for a Decision

July 29, 2016, 11:17 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Closing arguments were almost two years ago. Disgraceful. (I have my suspicions about what’s going on, but let’s wait until the opinion actually issues (if it is not mooted by the 2020 round of redistricting.).)

“Due Process, Fair Play, and Excessive Partisanship: A New Principle for Judicial Review of Election Laws”

July 29, 2016, 7:55 amelection administration, redistricting, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

This looks to be an important new draft from Ned Foley. Here is the abstract: American democracy is plagued by excessive partisanship, and yet constitutional law thus far has been incapable of redressing this ill. Gerrymandering is one clear example:… Continue reading

“Senators in contempt over secret emails get day before Supreme Court of Virginia”

July 20, 2016, 8:20 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Daily Press: A case that could recalibrate what documents state legislators can keep secret was heard Tuesday in the Supreme Court of Virginia. Vesilind v. Virginia State Board of Elections is primarily a redistricting case, brought to challenge 11… Continue reading