Category Archives: redistricting

“Can State Courts Cure Partisan Gerrymandering: Lessons from League of Women Voters v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (2018)”

June 6, 2018, 7:12 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Jonathan Cervas and Bernie Grofman have posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: In League of Women Voters v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (2018) the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down a congressional plan that embodied one of the most… Continue reading

Breaking: Supreme Court Declines to Hear Speech or Debate Case Issue Related to Pa. Gerrymandering Cases

June 4, 2018, 6:40 amredistricting, Speech or Debate Clause, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

From today’s order list: 17-1368 SCARNETI, JOSEPH B. V. AGRE, LOUIS, ET AL. The appeal is dismissed for want of jurisdiction. Here were the questions presented in the jurisdictional statement: 1. Did the lower court err in holding that… Continue reading

Jonathan Tobin Blames Voting Rights Act, Liberal Judges for Republican Gerrymandering

June 1, 2018, 8:38 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Here at the National Review.

“Virginia Supreme Court upholds 11 challenged state legislative districts”

May 31, 2018, 2:42 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Richmond Times-Dispatch: The Supreme Court of Virginia declined to set aside a ruling that upheld 11 General Assembly districts that were challenged as being designed for political purposes. In the Thursday ruling, the state’s high court upheld a March… Continue reading

“SCOTUS Ends One Partisan Gerrymandering Battle; More Remain”

May 30, 2018, 8:18 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Bloomberg reports.

“Goofy, Elephant, Squid: How Political Gamesmanship Distorts Voters’ Power”

May 28, 2018, 9:33 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Retro Report at the NYT on gerrymandering.

Tam Cho, Liu, Zang, and Cain: “The ‘Everything Bagel’ in Redistricting”

May 27, 2018, 3:24 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Here is a guest post from Wendy K Tam Cho, Yan Y. Liu, Emily R. Zhang, & Bruce E Cain: In addressing the sometimes impossible problem of having to choose between sesame, poppy seed, onion, garlic or salt, the everything… Continue reading

Very Important William & Mary Law Review Redistricting Symposium Now Available

May 23, 2018, 9:28 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Good things come to those who wait. This is a particularly important symposium, given all that has happened and soon will happen with redistricting. Issue 5 (APRIL 2018) ARTICLES: A Reasonable Bias Approach to Gerrymandering: Using Automated Plan Generation to … Continue reading

Chief Justice Roberts Almost Certainly Has, or Had, the Gill Partisan Gerrymandering Opinion

May 21, 2018, 7:35 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The ONLY case remaining from the October sitting (now that EPIC has been decided) is Gill, the partisan gerrymandering case and the only Justice who has not written yet from that sitting is CJ Roberts, who is skeptical of such… Continue reading

“Political Insiders Plotted the Most Gerrymandered District in America—and Left a Paper Trail”

May 21, 2018, 6:53 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The Washingtonian on the Maryland gerrymander at issue in Benisek.

The Brazenness of Partisan Intent in the Court’s Gerrymandering Cases

May 15, 2018, 9:44 amredistricting, UncategorizedRichard Pildes

A significant feature in these cases is the sheer brazenness with which critical legislators in the redistricting process across various states have been willing to blatantly proclaim their aggressive partisan objectives. In the previous major cases before the Court, from… Continue reading

“Ohio Voters Pass Gerrymandering Reform Measure”

May 9, 2018, 7:42 amredistricting, referendumRick Hasen

HuffPost: Ohio voters approved a ballot measure on Tuesday that changes the congressional mapmaking process, a move proponents say will rein in excessive partisan gerrymandering. By passing the ballot measure, called Issue 1, Ohioans amended their state Constitution to… Continue reading

“Republicans Make Moves To Crush Gerrymandering Reform”

May 7, 2018, 9:02 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

TPM: With anti-gerrymandering efforts gaining steam, Republicans in some states are mobilizing to protect their ability to continue rigging election maps. In late April, a Republican group backed by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce sued to keep a popular redistricting… Continue reading

ACS Phone Briefing Today: Judicial Gerrymandering? The Voting Rights Act, Judicial Elections, and Redistricting

May 2, 2018, 7:33 amjudicial elections, redistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Details: Judicial Gerrymandering? The Voting Rights Act, Judicial Elections, and Redistricting May 2, 2018 01:00 PM – 02:00 PM Event Location: ACS Webinar , Details: In recent weeks, the North Carolina General Assembly has proposed redrawing the map of the… Continue reading