Category Archives: redistricting

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

“NJ Justices Nix Redistricting Challenge, Draw Rare Dissent”

June 18, 2025, 3:25 pmredistrictingNJ, StatesTabatha Abu El-Haj

Bloomberg “The New Jersey Supreme Court rejected a challenge to municipal political district drawing, short-circuiting litigation that could have led to a wave of redistricting lawsuits across the state. The divided court ruled that judges need not consider mathematical formulas… Continue reading

“Redistricting trial begins in North Carolina over allegations that GOP-enacted maps erode Black voting power”

June 16, 2025, 8:21 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActTabatha Abu El-Haj

PBS News Plaintiffs allege “GOP legislative leaders violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps.” Republicans claim the maps are a legal partisan gerrymander. “Favorable rulings for the plaintiffs could force Republicans to redraw maps… Continue reading

“White House Pushes Texas to Redistrict, Hoping to Blunt Democratic Gains”

June 10, 2025, 7:05 amredistrictingRick Hasen

NYT: President Trump’s political team is encouraging Republican leaders in Texas to examine how House district lines in the state could be redrawn ahead of next year’s midterm elections to try to save the party’s endangered majority, according to people… Continue reading

Brahin, “Redistricting and the Origins of the Good Faith Presumption”

June 7, 2025, 9:02 amredistrictingDerek Muller

I’ll post some academic pieces over the weekend. First up, Leonard C. Brahin in the Barry Law Review: Evidentiary and substantive presumptions are a well-established tool that courts employ when addressing a variety of legal problems. These presumptions streamline… Continue reading

Three-judge federal panel rejects claim of racial gerrymandering in Arkansas congressional districts

June 6, 2025, 12:40 pmredistrictingDerek Muller

The decision in Christian Ministerial Alliance v. Thurston, written by Judge Stras on the Eighth Circuit and joined by two district court judges, is here.

“Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare Speaks on Redistricting Effort, Partisanship Claims”

May 31, 2025, 11:09 amelection law and constitutional law, political parties, redistrictinglocal redistricting, partisan gerrymanderJustin Levitt

A coming vote on new mid-decade maps for Tarrant County, Texas (where Ft. Worth is the county seat) has been quite controversial, with charges of racial and partisan impropriety, and likely litigation on the horizon. County Judge Tim O’Hare has… Continue reading