Category Archives: redistricting

“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

Pennsylvania Plaintiffs, in Opposition to Stay Request in Partisan Gerrymandering Case in State Supreme Court, Lay Down Case Against SCOTUS Review

January 25, 2018, 7:15 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Interesting discussion of the Elections Clause issue I flagged here.

“Gerrymandering’s Moment of Reckoning”

January 25, 2018, 7:10 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Sam Baker for Axios.

“Public Hearings and Congressional Redistricting: Evidence from the Western United States 2011–2012”

January 25, 2018, 7:03 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Peter Miller and Bernie Grofman have written this article for ELJ. Here is the abstract: We test theories about the effects of public input into redistricting, with evidence taken from remarks made in person at public hearings. One model, the… Continue reading

North Carolina Seeks SCOTUS Stay to Stop Use of New Districts Ordered to Solve Racial Gerrymandering; Reasons for Doubt

January 24, 2018, 1:07 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Here’s the pleading (via Amy Howe). As I recently explained, There are two reasons to give such a stay order lower chances in this case. First, this is a case on remand from SCOTUS, where there have already… Continue reading

Maryland Partisan Gerrymandering Case, Benisek v. Lamone, Set for March 28 Oral Argument at SCOTUS

January 24, 2018, 8:38 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

So reports Mark Sherman.

“Common Cause Urges SCOTUS to Expedite Review of North Carolina’s Partisan Gerrymander to Protect Voters”

January 24, 2018, 7:55 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Release: Today, Common Cause filed a motion in the U.S. Supreme Court in Common Cause v. Rucho urging the court to expedite its review of the case in order to provide relief to North Carolina voters in time for 2018… Continue reading

“The Courts Take Aim at Partisan Gerrymandering”

January 24, 2018, 7:44 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Jeff Toobin in the New Yorker.

“What’s the best way to fix our broken democracy? Lean on state courts and constitutions”

January 23, 2018, 1:30 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Josh Douglas LAT oped.

“How Big a Deal Is a New Congressional Map for Pennsylvania?”

January 22, 2018, 9:51 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Nate Cohn for NYT’s The Upshot: The Republicans are counting on a favorable congressional map to help their majority ride out a possible “wave” election this November. But the congressional map got a little less favorable on Monday when the… Continue reading

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Strikes Congressional Districts on State Law Grounds; And There’s a Longshot Theory to Get SCOTUS Review

January 22, 2018, 12:13 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Today the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on state law grounds held the state’s congressional districting violated the state constitution. It ordered the state legislature to submit a plan with compact and contiguous districts. If it can’t get a plan signed by… Continue reading

“A second bite at the apple? State constitutions and the ethos of fairness in elections”

January 22, 2018, 7:29 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Franita Tolson oped in The Hill.

“GOP legislators ask altered North Carolina maps be delayed”

January 21, 2018, 7:37 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

WRAL: The GOP lawmakers’ lawyers filed Sunday a motion asking the federal judges stay their order accepting new boundary lines from a special master while legislators appeal that order to the U.S. Supreme Court. They want a decision by Monday… Continue reading

“Drawing the Line on Redistricting”

January 20, 2018, 11:50 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

New Bruce Cain column in the American Interest: The Supreme Court has decided to review three partisan redistricting cases this term. One case centers on an alleged Republican partisan gerrymander in Wisconsin (Gill v. Whitford), another on an alleged Democratic… Continue reading