Category Archives: redistricting

Michigan: “Redistricting draft maps violate Voting Rights Act, civil rights director says”

October 21, 2021, 6:37 amredistricting, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Detroit News: An independent redistricting commission’s draft maps violate the Voting Rights Act, Michigan Civil Rights Department Executive Director John Johnson Jr. said during a Wednesday hearing where most speakers said the proposals don’t give Detroit fair representation.The proposed… Continue reading

New at Slog Law Blog: “Watch State Supreme Courts on Partisan Gerrymandering & Hold Your Breath on Fed Courts”

October 19, 2021, 5:53 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

I have written this post for the State and Local Government Law Blog. A taste: But the same issue may resurface, with a more conservative Supreme Court majority, as to the power of state courts to apply state constitutions in… Continue reading

“The Decision That Could Doom Democrats for a Decade; They predicted that nonpartisan redistricting commissions would make elections more fair, but Republicans might reap the benefits.”

October 18, 2021, 12:40 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Russell Berman for The Atlantic: To rid the country of partisan gerrymandering, Democrats for years joined with election reformers to take the responsibility for redistricting away from politicians and hand it to independent, nonpartisan commissions. The effort did not… Continue reading

“A Judge’s Guide to Redistricting”

October 14, 2021, 11:45 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Announcement via email: The Princeton Gerrymandering Project and Electoral Innovation Lab have announced the publication of A Judge’s Guide to Redistricting. This Guide is designed to help state court judges handle inevitable litigation during this redistricting cycle, by providing… Continue reading

“Republicans sue to block Democrats’ ‘obvious, extreme, partisan gerrymander’ of Oregon congressional districts”

October 12, 2021, 6:38 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Oregon Live: Four Republican former elected officials asked a court Monday to invalidate what they say is an “obvious, extreme, partisan gerrymander” of Oregon’s congressional district map.The quartet filed their suit exactly two weeks after Oregon’s House and… Continue reading

“The imminent impact of redistricting: sharper partisan elbows, less compromise by both sides in the House”

October 9, 2021, 2:01 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Colby Itkowitz WaPo column.

“Va. Redistricting Commission implodes as Republicans reject compromise and Democrats walk out”

October 8, 2021, 1:54 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

The Virginia Mercury reports.

“Wisconsin Republicans have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a redistricting case”

September 25, 2021, 10:42 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republican state lawmakers Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a redistricting lawsuit before a panel of federal judges, saying the matter should instead be considered by Wisconsin’s high court.The move comes two days… Continue reading

CA Supreme Court Uses Unusual Procedure to Extend California Redistricting Commission Headlines

September 22, 2021, 6:03 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

At the Lectern: The Supreme Court today granted in part the Citizens Redistricting Commission motion, filed a month ago, to further extend the constitutional and statutory deadlines to release for public comment and to then certify and approve… Continue reading

“Redistricting: Working with Census Data”

September 21, 2021, 12:48 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Sept. 28 NYLS event.

“Delayed Maps Upend Midterm Campaigns”

September 20, 2021, 6:43 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Axios reports.

“New redistricting commissions splinter along partisan lines”

September 19, 2021, 1:08 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

AP: When voters in some states created new commissions to handle the politically thorny process of redistricting, the hope was that the bipartisan panelists could work together to draw new voting districts free of partisan gerrymandering.Instead, cooperation has proved elusive.In… Continue reading

“Gerrylaundering”

September 17, 2021, 7:54 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Rob Yablon has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: As they carry out their decennial redistricting duties, those in power sometimes audaciously manipulate district lines to secure an electoral advantage. In other words, they gerrymander. Often, however,… Continue reading

“New York Will Soon Lose 1 House Seat. The G.O.P. Might Lose 5.”

September 15, 2021, 7:03 amredistrictingRick Hasen

NYT: Seven years ago, New Yorkers voted decisively to empower a new bipartisan commission to do what self-interested politicians could not: draw new congressional district lines that were not gerrymandered to favor a particular party.But as the panel prepares… Continue reading