Category Archives: redistricting

“Test-driving California’s Election Reforms”

September 12, 2012, 9:16 pmcitizen commissions, political parties, primaries, redistrictingRick Hasen

PPIC has issued this report by Eric McGee and Daniel Krimm. Here is the summary: In the June 2012 primary, California tested two important electoral changes: new legislative and congressional districts drawn by an independent citizens commission and a “top… Continue reading

“Simpson Joins Criticism of House Redistricting”

September 10, 2012, 12:31 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Texas Tribune: “State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer picked up an unlikely ally Friday after accusing top House staffers of taking part in discriminatory conduct that got the Legislature’s redistricting maps thrown out by federal judges. Fellow Rep. David Simpson… Continue reading

“Straus pressed to end redistricting fight”

September 9, 2012, 8:22 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The latest from Texas.

“Rights group asks court to stop Texas voting map”

September 7, 2012, 2:19 pmDepartment of Justice, redistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

AP: “A Latino civil rights group is asking the Supreme Court to stop Texas from using congressional districts drawn by a lower federal court in the November election because they discriminate against minorities.” I give this petition very little… Continue reading

“Redistricting In the Post-2010 Cycle: Lessons Learned?”

September 6, 2012, 10:31 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Gerry Hebert and Megan McAllen have this post on the CLC Blog.

“Five Ways Courts Say Texas Discriminated Against Black and Latino Voters”

September 4, 2012, 8:15 amredistricting, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

ProPublica reports.

“Did Greg Abbott Just Save the Voting Rights Act?”

September 3, 2012, 8:28 pmDepartment of Justice, redistricting, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Texas Lawbook: “The Texas Attorney General claims in court that the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 is outdated, unnecessary and an unconstitutional encroachment on the sovereignty of the state, but his legal efforts may have just assured the… Continue reading

“Way Cleared for November Vote in Texas”

September 1, 2012, 1:22 pmDepartment of Justice, redistricting, voting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

NYT reports.

“Texas Election Maps To Be Debated After ID Law Rejected”

August 31, 2012, 8:20 amelection administration, redistricting, The Voting Wars, voter idRick Hasen

Bloomberg reports.

“Our Electoral Exceptionalism”

August 31, 2012, 8:04 amalternative voting systems, citizen commissions, pedagogy, redistrictingRick Hasen

Nick Stephanopoulos has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming U Chicago Law Review). Here is the abstract: Election law suffers from a comparative blind spot. Scholars in the field have devoted almost no attention to how other countries organize their… Continue reading

About Those Attempts to Redo the Texas District Lines for This Election…..

August 30, 2012, 12:47 pmredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

the 3-judge-court in San Antonio ain’t buying it. That’s what I expected, and it’s clearly the right call so close to the election and after the delayed primaries.

“Minority, Dem groups act to challenge interim redistricting maps”

August 29, 2012, 9:45 pmDepartment of Justice, redistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

San Antonio Express-News: “Several key minority and Democratic groups took a first step Wednesday toward challenging Texas’ interim redistricting maps, put in place for the 2012 election, by filing a request for a preliminary hearing in federal court.” I… Continue reading

“Process Failure and Transparency Reform in Local Redistricting: Harnessing the Power of 21st-Century Technologies to Fix 19th-Century Democracies”

August 29, 2012, 11:35 amcitizen commissions, redistrictingRick Hasen

Michael Halberstam has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Election Law Journal). Here is the abstract: Redistricting reform during this cycle has pushed for greater transparency in redistricting, more public participation, the removal of redistricting from the hands of legislatures,… Continue reading