Category Archives: redistricting

“Poll: Americans support fine-tuning election policy”

October 14, 2013, 8:10 pmelection administration, primaries, redistricting, The Voting Wars, voter idRick Hasen

USA Today: A nationwide USA TODAY/Bipartisan Policy Center poll finds a majority of Americans support a range of proposals aimed at easing hyper-partisanship and building confidence in elections. Some command the sort of broad bipartisan backing rare in national… Continue reading

“Navigating Debates About Redistricting”

October 14, 2013, 8:15 amredistrictingRick Hasen

The Monkey Cage.

Quote of the Day: Posner Edition

October 11, 2013, 4:42 pmcampaign finance, political parties, political polarization, redistrictingRick Hasen

“I don’t understand the Court’s toleration for political gerrymandering, a practice that in conjunction with the Court’s endorsement of promiscuous campaign donations seems to have poisoned our national politics by filling the House of Representatives with extremists.” –Richard A. Posner,… Continue reading

More on How Gerrymandering Did Not Cause the Shutdown

October 10, 2013, 9:05 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Seth Masket McCarthy, Poole, and Rosenthal

“Quit Blaming Gerrymandering for the Shutdown”

October 3, 2013, 7:44 pmpolitical parties, political polarization, redistrictingRick Hasen

Amen to Nate Cohn.

3-Judge Texas Court, on 2-1 Vote, Allows DOJ to Intervene in Texas Voting Rights Redistricting Suit

September 24, 2013, 11:20 amDepartment of Justice, redistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

You can find the order and Judge Jerry Smith’s dissent at this link. There’s discussion in here of potential Texas bail-in under Section 3 of the VRA.

“Plaintiffs propose trial schedule in Texas redistricting case”

September 17, 2013, 10:58 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The latest.

“California lawmakers got a lot done in the last session”

September 16, 2013, 7:34 pmcitizen commissions, political parties, primaries, redistrictingRick Hasen

George Skelton in LA Times says its looser term limits, top two, and nonpartisan redistricting. I’m not at all so sure that’s the explanation. More like: Democrats have a large enough majority in the CA legislature that they do not… Continue reading

“The Shrinking House Map: A Regional Breakdown”

September 12, 2013, 8:00 ampolitical parties, political polarization, redistrictingRick Hasen

Roll Call: Republicans and Democrats are getting ready to spend 14 months and hundreds of millions of dollars on a House campaign that is likely to end in a split decision with a small gain for one party or… Continue reading

“Texas: Split Ruling Over Political Maps”

September 7, 2013, 7:32 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActDan Tokaji

The AP reports: “A federal court said Friday that it would not delay Texas’ primary elections and ordered the state to temporarily use political maps drawn by the Legislature while the judges sort out a complex lawsuit.” The court… Continue reading

“Sure, Congress Is More Partisan. But It’s Also More Honest.”

September 6, 2013, 8:47 amlegislation and legislatures, political polarization, redistrictingDan Tokaji

David Weigel of Slate has this comment on what the new Almanac of American Politics reveals. His takeaways include confirmation that “the gerrymanders of 2010 have taken most of the country out of play,” but also that: “Gerrymandering isn’t the… Continue reading

“A Win For Davis In Redistricting Suit Against Abbott, State”

September 6, 2013, 7:32 amredistrictingDan Tokaji

Texas NPR has this story on Wednesday’s decision in Davis v. Perry.

Final Judgment on Texas State Senate Map

September 5, 2013, 8:05 amredistrictingDan Tokaji

Texas Redistricting & Election Law has this post with a link to the ruling in Davis v. Perry.

“All the Pretty Little Districts: Why You Need to Stop Whining About Gerrymandering”

August 24, 2013, 11:47 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Jonathan Bernstein: Of all the good-government obsessions that keep people focused on process instead of substance, one of the very worst—and I know that lots of you reading this share it—is over the “unfairness” of how congressional district lines are… Continue reading