Category Archives: redistricting

“Millions of Voters Will Cast Ballots in November in Unconstitutionally Gerrymandered Districts”

January 30, 2018, 5:58 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Pema Levy for Mother Jones: This fall, millions of voters will cast ballots in legislative districts that have been deemed unconstitutional. Courts have repeatedly tossed out Republican-drawn electoral maps for excessive gerrymandering, but those maps will remain in effect through… Continue reading

Quote of the Day: Partisan Gerrymandering Edition

January 29, 2018, 8:11 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

“I liked working for them in ’02,…“because I’d sit down with a lawyer and they’d say, ‘I like competitive maps. When a map is competitive, we can win on the merits.’ By the time I get around to 2011, they’ve… Continue reading

Justice Alito (Belatedly) Calls for Response in PA Congressional Gerrymandering Case

January 29, 2018, 2:16 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

After a strange period of delay which I thought signaled a denial of a stay was coming in this case, Justice Alito has requested a response in this case, due Friday Feb. 2 at 4 pm. (The petitioner Republican legislators… Continue reading

“Common Cause Files & Coordinates Bipartisan Amici in Landmark Supreme Court Challenge to Maryland Democrats’ Partisan Gerrymander”

January 29, 2018, 12:27 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Release: Today, Common Cause joined an ideologically diverse group of governors, members of Congress, local government leaders, and others in filing amicus briefs urging the Supreme Court to put an end to partisan gerrymandering. On March 28, the Court will… Continue reading

Republican Party Funds Amicus Brief of Six Republican Secretaries of State (Including AL SOS John Merrill) Seeking to Stop Pennsylvania Redistricting Ordered by State Supreme Court to Cure Partisan Gerrymandering

January 29, 2018, 12:09 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Great find from Richard Winger: The Secretaries of State of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and South Carolina have filed this amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in the Pennsylvania U.S. House lawsuit over partisan gerrymandering. This… Continue reading

Pa: “Governor Wolf to Enlist Non-Partisan Mathematician to Evaluate Fairness of Redistricting Maps”

January 28, 2018, 12:38 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Release: Governor Wolf today announced he will enlist a non-partisan mathematician, Moon Duchin, Ph.D. an Associate Professor of Mathematics from Tufts University, to provide him guidance on evaluating redistricting maps for fairness. Governor Wolf has made clear since the Supreme… Continue reading

Justice Alito Has Not Yet Acted on Pa. Congressional Gerrymandering Stay Request from Pa. Legislative Republicans. Why?

January 28, 2018, 10:39 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

On Thursday, Pennsylvania Republicans sought to stop a Pa Supreme Court order requiring that the state’s congressional districts be redrawn because they violate the state Constitution. The claim to the United States Supreme Court is an extreme long shot because… Continue reading

Full Employment for @Persily Month

January 28, 2018, 10:05 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Penn Live: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has retained a special advisor and asked for technical data in the event it needs to become more directly involved in creating Pennsylvania’s next Congressional district map. The court issued an order Friday naming… Continue reading

“The courts may address partisan gerrymandering. Virginia and Maryland, take note.”

January 28, 2018, 10:03 amredistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo editorial.

“Republicans in Pennsylvania ask the Supreme Court to restore their map”

January 28, 2018, 9:55 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Steve Mazie blogs for The Economist.

“Gerrymandering is the root of all political evil. Or is it?”

January 28, 2018, 9:42 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Dan Balz WaPo column.

“Pennsylvania GOP take gerrymandering case to US high court”

January 25, 2018, 8:18 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

AP reports.

Pennsylvania Republican Legislators File Longshot Bid with the Supreme Court to Get It To Delay Redistricting Ordered by PA Supreme Court to Cure Partisan Gerrrymandering

January 25, 2018, 12:47 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Here’s the filing. Here’s why it is a long shot. First question is whether Justice Alito (responsible for emergency petitions coming from the 3rd Circuit) will order a response.

“We Drew 2,568 Congressional Districts By Hand. Here’s How.”

January 25, 2018, 7:18 amredistrictingRick Hasen

538: In most states, district maps — which define where the constituency of one representative ends and that of another begins — are drawn by the state’s lawmakers. Having politicians define their own districts has not gone entirely smoothly… Continue reading