Chief Justice John Robert’s 5-4 majority gerrymandering ruling is a key victory for Republicans, who rigged the nation’s votes in their favor in 2011, costing Democrats the 2016 election as well as the 2018 midterms in Wisconsin and are preparing to more heavily gerrymander the nation during the next round of redistricting in 2021. Roberts … [Read more...]
Search Results for: Gerrymandering
Supreme Court Rejects Limits to Partisan Gerrymandering
According to Reuters, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday rejected efforts to the practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to entrench one party in power by turning away challenges to political maps in Maryland and North Carolina. The justices ruled in a decision with nationwide implications that judges do not have the ability to … [Read more...]
North Carolina Court: Gerrymandering Rendered State Constitutional Amendments Illegitimate
The American legal system is grappling with gerrymandering in a way it never has before. This reckoning is long overdue, and there's the potential – though not the certainty – that these new cases could make American elections dramatically fairer. However, even in the best case scenario these cases are forward looking. Courts can't travel back … [Read more...]
Two Partisan Gerrymandering Cases to Go Before Supreme Court in March
For decades, advocates and attorneys have begged the Supreme Court to finally rule on partisan gerrymandering. But while the court has occasionally indicated that there could be a gerrymander so extreme it fails to pass constitutional muster, the justices have so far declined to weigh in decisively on the issue. That will change this March, … [Read more...]
New Jersey Democrats Withdraw Gerrymandering Plan After Outraged Response
The national conversation over gerrymandering usually focuses on Republicans, especially in states like Wisconsin and North Carolina, where the state Republican Parties used a fortuitously timed 2010 wave to entrench their power in what are actually very competitive states. Obviously, this is not because Democratic politicians are so virtuous … [Read more...]
Gerrymandering In the Courts and On the Ballot
Gerrymandering – broadly defined as drawing voting district boundaries in such a way as to maximize the political advantage for one party or demographic group – is almost as old as America itself. In fact, a gerrymandering episode in Virginia immediately after ratification of the Constitution involved Patrick Henry, James Madison and James Monroe. … [Read more...]
When is Gerrymandering Unconstitutional?
https://youtu.be/ADEflXCXouU?rel=0 From NPR, YouTube - Partisan gerrymandering has been going on for a long time, but now technology has made it easier for the incumbent party to hold its majority for longer. Now the Supreme Court is trying to decide how much is too much when it comes to partisan gerrymandering. NPR’s Nina Totenberg explains why … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Will Consider Partisan Gerrymandering in October Session
Proponents and opponents of partisan gerrymandering wait with bated breath for the Supreme Court to commence its October term, as Justices are set to hear arguments regarding the 2010 redistricting map in Wisconsin. The lower court has already deemed the map an unmistakable case of politically motivated gerrymandering that defies the Constitution. … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Will Consider Whether Partisan Gerrymandering Is Constitutional
The Supreme Court decided on June 19th that it would consider whether partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, laying the groundwork for a potential overhaul of the electoral system in this country. The Court agreed to be briefed and hear arguments during the October term, adding that it would postpone the question of jurisdiction until the … [Read more...]
Small Victory for Black Voters in Virginia as Supreme Court Returns Racial Gerrymandering Case for Reexamination
According to certain African-American voters, following the 2010 census, Virginia State legislators redistricted the voting map specifically to ensure that each district held 55 percent of the black voting age population (BVAP). In the voters’ eyes, this was an attempt to weaken the power of black voters by spreading them out across district lines, … [Read more...]
