Category Archives: redistricting

Note on Mid-Decade Redistricting and Climate Change

July 14, 2025, 2:37 pmredistrictingDan Tokaji

Here’s the abstract to “Disaster Districts: Mid-Decade Redistricting in the Face of Climate Change,” by J. Gray Whitsett, a recent graduate of William & Mary Law School: This Note argues that judicial and legislative efforts to constrain redistricting… Continue reading

Voting Rights Plaintiffs and Texas Officials Spar Over Mid-Decade Redistricting

July 13, 2025, 12:35 pmDepartment of Justice, redistricting, Voting Rights ActGuy Charles

A group of plaintiffs in a case challenging the State’s redistricting map have asked the trial court to reopen testimony in the case in response to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to call a special session to consider redrawing some… Continue reading

VoteBeat on Texas Redistricting

July 12, 2025, 4:33 amDepartment of Justice, redistricting, Voting Rights ActGuy Charles

VoteBeat covers the Texas redistricting here. They also have a fantastic quote from our brilliant colleague Justin Levitt. From the article: Justin Levitt, a constitutional law expert who served in the DOJ under former President Barack Obama, said the… Continue reading

Could the Texas Mid-Decade Redistricting Scheme Backfire?

July 11, 2025, 7:41 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActGuy Charles

This article from Politico, quoting Democratic lawmakers, makes the case. From the article: A Donald Trump-backed effort to gerrymander Texas would boost the GOP’s attempts to cling to its razor-thin House majority in next year’s midterms — but it also… Continue reading

“Where the Voting Rights Act stands after the Supreme Court punts on a Louisiana case”

June 28, 2025, 5:37 pmelection law and constitutional law, redistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActgerrymanderingJustin Levitt

Hansi Lo Wang, looking ahead for NPR.

Roundup of stories on the Louisiana congressional redistricting case

June 27, 2025, 6:35 pmpolitical parties, redistricting, Voting Rights ActJustin Levitt

You can read about the punt from (so far): Me, AP, Times-Picayune, Louisiana Illuminator, NPR, CBS, NYT, WaPo, SCOTUSblog, The Hill, Politico, CNN, Cook Political Report, Washington … Continue reading

Supreme Court sets Louisiana congressional case for reargument

June 27, 2025, 8:57 amelection law and constitutional law, redistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActJustin Levitt

Well, that was unexpected. As mentioned a moment ago, the Court today punted on the Louisiana congressional case, Louisiana v. Callais, setting it for reargument next Term. The order says that the Court will “issue an order scheduling argument… Continue reading

Supreme Court punts on Louisiana congressional map

June 27, 2025, 8:20 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActJustin Levitt

The Court won’t be issuing an opinion today on Louisiana’s congressional map after all. Instead, they’ll re-hear argument next term. More analysis coming momentarily.

SCOTUS opinion on Louisiana redistricting coming

June 27, 2025, 7:59 amredistrictingJustin Levitt

But given the time they spent on the birthright citizenship case, it’s not going to be out by the time the digest version of the blog hits your inbox. I’ll have it here as soon as it’s available.

“Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects bid to reconsider congressional maps before the 2026 midterms”

June 25, 2025, 10:06 pmredistrictingstate constitutionsJustin Levitt

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports on two cases that the state Supreme Court declined to hear. I’m sure Justice Bradley, who angrily pre-castigated her colleagues (in a dissent from the order simply directing a response to the initial petitions) for their… Continue reading

“Recovering from Rucho: How States Can Create National Partisan Fairness”

June 24, 2025, 1:16 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, redistrictingpartisan gerrymanderJustin Levitt

Jamie Piltch and Aaron Goldzimer have a new piece in the Wash. U. L. Rev. Online: Rucho v. Common Cause and the failure to pass H.R. 1 have left national gerrymandering reform on life support. At present, however, states committed… Continue reading

DOJ weighs in in Alabama preclearance

June 22, 2025, 5:16 pmDepartment of Justice, redistricting, Voting Rights Actbail-in, preclearance, Section 3Justin Levitt

In the Alabama redistricting case, readers will recall the May 8 unanimous 571-page-opinion from one judge first appointed by Reagan and two judges appointed by Trump; the opinion said, inter alia, “try as we might, we cannot understand the… Continue reading

“Amid upcoming redistricting deadline, massive changes could soon be coming for Ohio’s congressional map”

June 22, 2025, 5:12 pmconflict of interest laws, election law and constitutional law, political parties, redistrictingpartisan gerrymanderJustin Levitt

Ohio’s redistricting process has been, charitably, a mess. WLWT in Ohio focuses on the coming summer redraw of Ohio’s congressional lines, which were valid only for 2022 and 2024 under Ohio’s constitution, because they were passed by a… Continue reading

When will Supreme Court Further Erode Our Democracy . . . probably not until next week

June 20, 2025, 7:40 amredistricting, Voting Rights Actracial gerrymanderTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Court did not decide Louisiana v. Callais today. The case involves a challenge to Louisiana’s congressional maps. In 2023, after a federal court found Louisiana had violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by failing to provide a… Continue reading