“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

“Voting Rights and Private Rights of Action: An Empirical Study of Litigation Under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, 1982-2024”

August 12, 2025, 7:36 amDepartment of Justice, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Chris Seaman has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, FSU Law Review). Here is the abstract: The Voting Rights Act is perhaps the most effective civil rights law ever enacted, bringing millions of Americans who have historically been discriminated against… Continue reading

Election case curriculum videos

August 11, 2025, 3:02 pmelection law and constitutional law, Supreme Court, theoryJustin Levitt

Justin here. With the semester either beginning or around the corner, I wanted to lift up a series of great videos (illustrated, annotated, featuring case text, etc.) that the incomparable Guy-Uriel Charles and Sasha Natapoff have pulled together. Leading scholars… Continue reading

“Republican Party of Texas sets stage to censure members who stepped out of line in likely bid to block them from primary ballot”

August 11, 2025, 1:08 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Texas Tribune: The executive committee of the Republican Party of Texas was in Austin on Saturday to finalize its first-ever legislative review, outlining a list of censurable offenses that some within the Texas GOP want to use to block certain… Continue reading

“Midterms are more than a year away, but Trump is already challenging them | Opinion”

August 11, 2025, 11:46 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

Chris Brennan column in USA Today: They’re building the machine now to meddle in the 2026 midterm elections 15 months from now. And those machinations are built on two lessons learned from 2020: Attack the election with everything you… Continue reading

“How Alabama’s historic congressional map still faces uncertainty amid redistricting battles”

August 11, 2025, 8:26 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Al.com: In this sweltering political August, redistricting has become the hot fight of the moment. It’s driving Texas Democrats to flee their state, hunkering down in Illinois while Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatens to have lawmakers removed from office.… Continue reading