“Trump Isn’t the Only One to Blame for the Gerrymander Mess”

August 14, 2025, 7:44 amredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

David Daley NYT oped: President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Texas Republicans have reignited the gerrymandering wars. The brazen power grab in Texas pushed Democrats to start their own efforts to unravel independent commissions established by voters, and now… Continue reading

“Hispanic Democratic Officials in Texas Plead Not Guilty to Voter Fraud”

August 13, 2025, 1:49 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: Nine Latino Democratic officials and political operatives pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in South Texas to charges of criminal voter fraud, accusations that their defenders called blatant voter suppression and political intimidation by the state’s Republican attorney general. Gerry… Continue reading

“The Downballot’s live guide to redistricting in every state”

August 13, 2025, 1:45 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

The Downballot: At Donald Trump’s instigation, Republican lawmakers across the country are moving forward with plans to redraw their congressional maps outside of the normal once-a-decade redistricting process—purely for partisan political gain. In response, Democrats nationwide are preparing to counter… Continue reading

“No Longer ‘Dead Brad Walking’: Georgia’s Election Chief Makes a Comeback”

August 13, 2025, 8:01 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

From the WSJ, which is paywalled: Five years ago, Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was banished to the political wilderness. Donald Trump blamed the mild-mannered election chief for his narrow 2020 Georgia defeat, branding him a RINO… Continue reading

“How a U.S. Senate Race Is Shaping the Fight Over Redistricting in Texas”

August 13, 2025, 7:51 ampolitical parties, political polarization, redistrictingRick Hasen

NYT: The standoff in Texas over redrawing the state’s U.S. House districts to a sharply tilted Republican advantage has played out before the backdrop of a contentious U.S. Senate race that may well be making the redistricting fight more… Continue reading

“The midterm map fight favors the GOP — and could help them stay in power”

August 13, 2025, 7:49 amredistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo: President Donald Trump’s push to redraw the congressional map has fueled a redistricting arms race, with blue and red states rushing to counter each other. But it’s an uneven fight. Republicans appear to hold the advantage in the… Continue reading

“Why is American democracy in such peril?”

August 12, 2025, 5:40 pmUncategorizedNed Foley

That’s the title of a talk I’ve delivered while at the University of Melbourne on a Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellowship. It’s my effort to explain succinctly how the United States got to the current dire situation and to point… Continue reading

“Texas Democrats to return home for second special session, ABC13 sources confirm”

August 12, 2025, 3:09 pmchicanery, redistrictingRick Hasen

ABC13: ABC13 has confirmed with multiple sources that House Democrats will return to Texas. Eyewitness News has not confirmed the date, but we do know that Democrats believe they’ve accomplished their mission by killing the first special session and… Continue reading

Good Government Group Common Cause Will Bless Time-Limited Mid-Decade Re-redistricting, with Conditions

August 12, 2025, 12:13 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Announcement via email: Common Cause today reaffirmed its commitment to fair, people-powered democracy, making clear that independent redistricting commissions remain the gold standard for ending partisan gerrymandering. However, as political leaders in states like Texas are imposing mid-decade partisan maps to distort the… Continue reading

“Texas Republicans dare Democrats to stay out of state another month”

August 12, 2025, 10:00 amchicanery, redistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo: Texas Republicans said Tuesday that they would kick off a second special legislative session Friday to redraw the state’s congressional maps in favor of the GOP, putting pressure on absent Democrats to quickly return to the state or commit… Continue reading

Supreme Court Fast-Tracks Potential Demolition of Section 2 of Voting Rights Act by Setting Argument October 15 in Louisiana Case, Possibly in Time to Affect 2026 Midterm Elections

August 12, 2025, 8:20 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

We know the Supreme Court dallied a long time in setting the Louisiana case for reargument, only recently adding a doozy of a question in this racial gerrymandering case that could tee up a potential knocking down of the remaining… Continue reading

“Voter Intimidation: Forging a Judicial Standard”

August 12, 2025, 8:11 amchicanery, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Ben Goldstein has written this article for the Journal of Law and Politics. Here is the abstract: In the last few years, federal courts have seen a notable increase in voter intimidation cases. Empirically, instances of voter intimidation, whether litigated… Continue reading

“The D.N.C.’s New Leader Seeks to Curb Dark Money Influence in 2028 Primaries”

August 12, 2025, 7:50 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee chairman, is taking a symbolic step toward curbing the influence of undisclosed and corporate funds in his party’s 2028 presidential primary, a move that is likely to instigate a broader conversation about the… Continue reading

“Why a gerrymandering critic wants to toss out California’s maps”

August 12, 2025, 7:38 amredistrictingRick Hasen

California Playbook: Sara Sadhwani is proud of her work on California’s independent redistricting commission, but now she wants voters to tear up the maps she and her colleagues spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours crafting. The Pomona political science professor… Continue reading