Category Archives: redistricting

“What’s behind the fight over Wisconsin’s primary? The Supreme Court’s gerrymandering ruling.”

April 22, 2020, 8:45 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Guy Charles and Luis Fuentes-Rohwer in The Monkey Cage: On April 7, thousands of Wisconsin citizens braved a global pandemic to show up at the polls to vote. Some commentators blamed Republicans in the legislature for forcing voters to choose… Continue reading

“Federal Courts Won’t Hear North Carolina Gerrymandering Case”

April 19, 2020, 8:06 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Bloomberg Law: North Carolina legislators can’t remove to federal court a state suit under the state constitution challenging a redistricting plan that they say is gerrymandered in favor of Republicans, the Fourth Circuit said Thursday.

Breaking: 6th Circuit Panel Unanimously Upholds Constitutionality of Michigan Independent Redistricting Commission (Including Interesting Concurring Opinion by Judge Readler Attacking Anderson-Burdick Framework)

April 15, 2020, 11:55 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Not at all surprised by this result (which I’ve long been predicting, all the while puzzling over why Republicans did not raise a different argument against the commission as applied to congressional redistricting). But a fascinating majority opinion by Judge… Continue reading

“Gerrymandered by Definition: The Distortion of ‘Traditional’ Districting Principles and a Proposal for an Empirical Redefinition”

April 1, 2020, 9:02 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Yunsieg Kim and Jowei Chen have posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: What are “traditional” districting criteria? The meaning of that term is critical to curbing abusive districting practices, because states must draw electoral districts according to… Continue reading

Colorado Ends Prison Gerrymandering

March 24, 2020, 8:09 pmfelon voting, redistrictingRick Hasen

The Appeal reports.

“The Supreme Court’s Pro-Partisanship Turn”

March 4, 2020, 8:29 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I have posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Georgetown Law Journal Online). Here is the abstract: The United States Supreme Court’s conservative majority has taken the Court’s election jurisprudence on a pro-partisanship turn which gives political actors freer range to… Continue reading

Michigan: “Redistricting applicants so far largely white, male, over 45”

March 1, 2020, 2:10 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Detroit News reports.

“Like being ‘an enslaved person’: Why former prisoners are suing Pennsylvania over ‘prison gerrymandering’”

March 1, 2020, 11:57 amfelon voting, redistrictingRick Hasen

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“Partisan Gerrymandering: Weeds in the Political Thicket”

February 7, 2020, 1:26 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Richard Engstrom has written this article for Social Science Quarterly. Here is the abstract: Abstract Objective To highlight the extent of the partisan gerrymandering problem in the United States. Methods Bring both original and secondary sources to bear on the… Continue reading

“Partisan Gerrymandering and State Constitutions”

February 6, 2020, 7:24 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Michael Morley has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Since the U.S. Supreme Court held in Rucho v. Common Cause that partisan gerrymandering claims are non-justiciable under the U.S. Constitution, reformers have shifted their focus to pursuing… Continue reading

“Who should count? Details of Missouri GOP redistricting plan could mean big changes”

January 29, 2020, 8:10 amredistrictingRick Hasen

KC Star: Who should be counted when Missouri’s 197 legislative districts are redrawn: everyone who lives in the state or only citizens old enough to vote?It’s not a question that’s gotten much attention in the more than a year lawmakers… Continue reading

“When New Jersey Next Redistricts, It Will Count Incarcerated People Where They Lived”

January 21, 2020, 7:50 amfelon voting, redistrictingRick Hasen

Daniel Nichanian for The Appeal.

“Ohio 2020 election targeted by national Obama / Holder redistricting group”

January 16, 2020, 12:47 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Cleveland.com reports.

“Missouri GOP puts political fairness at bottom of redistricting priorities”

January 15, 2020, 8:14 amredistrictingDan Tokaji

AP: Republican senators rolled out a plan Tuesday to ask Missouri voters to undo key parts of a nationally unique redistricting model that directs a demographer to draw new legislative districts with “partisan fairness” and “competitiveness” as top criteria.The… Continue reading