Update: Alabama Court Grants 3-Judge Panel in Census Lawsuit

Update: Alabama Court Grants 3-Judge Panel in Census Lawsuit

By EditorMar 29, 2021
An Alabama federal district court granted a Mar 8 request for a 3-judge panel by plaintiffs to consider the differential privacy claims raised in a lawsuit filed by the state of Alabama against the U.S. Census Bureau. Federal statute allows a plaintiff to request a 3-judge panel to consider any case involving the use of any statistical method used in the decennial U.S. census in possible violation of the Constitution or other provision of law. This development ensures a fast-track to the U.S. Supreme Court should one of the parties appeal the panel's decision. Read the court's order. In granting…
Case Updates, Casedocs, LAW, NEWS, Redistricting
Read More
Update: Minnesota Court Issues Order to Appoint Special Redistricting Panel if Legislature Fails to Redistrict

Update: Minnesota Court Issues Order to Appoint Special Redistricting Panel if Legislature Fails to Redistrict

By EditorMar 29, 2021
On March 22, the Minnesota Supreme Court granted the plaintiff's request in Wattson v. Simon to appoint a special redistricting panel for redistricting in the state in anticipation of the legislature failing to enact maps in time for upcoming elections. Read the original complaint. Read the court's order. Learn more. While the court agreed to appoint a panel at some point in the future, it delayed doing so and stayed all further proceedings until the legislature has had time to enact maps. This year's regular session of the Minnesota legislature is scheduled to end in late May. The court also…
Case Updates, Casedocs, NEWS, Redistricting
Read More

Ohio’s Lawsuit Over Census Data Delay is Dismissed by Federal Court

By EditorMar 24, 2021
Earlier today, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio denied Ohio's request to the court for an order compelling the U.S. Census Bureau to deliver redistricting data to the state by the statutory deadline of March 31. Ultimately the court denied the request for a preliminary injunction for lack of standing because the Census Bureau's failure to meet its deadline in and of itself does not constitute a redressable injury, explaining that "A litigant is not concretely injured and standing is not met simply because a statute creates a legal obligation that goes unfulfilled." In an opinion…
Case Updates, Census Data and Geography, Census Law, LATEST, LAW, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, , ,
Read More
Pomona, CA Seeks Residents to Serve on its Independent Redistricting Commission

Pomona, CA Seeks Residents to Serve on its Independent Redistricting Commission

By EditorMar 23, 2021
Pomona, California is seeking 7 residents to serve as commissioners on an independent redistricting panel. Review the requirements here. Pomona City Council Seeks Pomona Residents Interested in Serving on the:Independent Redistricting CommissionPOMONA, CA (March 22, 2021) – If you have a strong interest in the community andyou have the ability to give generously of your time, why not apply to serve on theIndependent Redistricting Commission. Commissioners have an opportunity to makea difference in the community by providing recommendations to the City Council.Commissioners serve on a volunteer basis and are appointed by the City Council.Anyone who is a resident of Pomona…
Local Redistricting, NEWS, Redistricting, , ,
Read More
Interactive Historical Apportionment Map Released by U.S. Census Bureau

Interactive Historical Apportionment Map Released by U.S. Census Bureau

By EditorMar 22, 2021
You can now view the results of every apportionment since 1910 in this new interactive map from the U.S. Census Bureau. The map displays the change in the number of U.S. House seats for each state in each decade, the percent change in population, and population density for each state. U.S. Census Bureau March 22, 2021: Interactive Apportionment Map Now Available The U.S. Census Bureau launched a new online map today ahead of the 2020 Census apportionment results release. The “Historical Apportionment Data Map” currently displays apportionment results for each census from 1910 to 2010. 2020 Census apportionment results will…
Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, FEATURES, LATEST, Redistricting, Redistricting Functions, ,
Read More
A Proposal for a Nevada Independent Redistricting Commission May be Headed for the Ballot. Again

A Proposal for a Nevada Independent Redistricting Commission May be Headed for the Ballot. Again

By EditorMar 22, 2021
In Nevada last Wednesday a proposed constitutional amendment was introduced in the legislature that would establish a seven-member independent redistricting commission to draw the state's congressional and state legislative districts. The amendment, if adopted would prohibit partisan line-drawing and require competitive districts. The senate and house minority and majority leaders would appoint four commission members and those four would appoint the remaining three members, who must be unaffiliated voters or from a third political party. The joint resolution would still need to be approved in two consecutive sessions of the legislature and by a majority of voters. In 2011 a…
NEWS, Official Redistricting Entities, Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions,
Read More
Michigan Redistricting Commission Approves 16 Public Hearing Sites

Michigan Redistricting Commission Approves 16 Public Hearing Sites

By EditorMar 18, 2021
Press Release (Mar 17, 2021): The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) has approved 16 public hearing sites to solicit input from Michigan residents about the redistricting process for congressional, state senate, and state house districts. Before drawing any lines, the MICRC is required to hold at least 10 public hearings. Per the Michigan Constitution, the purposes for the public hearings are to: Inform the public about the redistricting process.Share the purpose and responsibilities of the Commission.Solicit information from the public about potential redistricting plans for U.S. Congressional, Michigan House, and Michigan Senate districts. The public hearings are tentatively scheduled…
NEWS, Official Redistricting Entities, Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions,
Read More
Maine: Review of Litigation in the 2010 Redistricting Cycle

Maine: Review of Litigation in the 2010 Redistricting Cycle

By EditorMar 17, 2021
Desena v. Maine, No. 1:11-cv-117 (D. Me.) A 1975 amendment to the state constitution required Maine to reapportion its districts every 10 years, starting in 1983. After the 2010 census data was completed, Maine’s two congressional districts saw an increased population differential. Instead of having a gap of 23 residents between the two congressional districts as was the case after the previous redistricting cycle, these two districts varied by 8,669 residents. Plaintiffs, who were residents of the larger district, sued the state on March 28, 2011, alleging that the plan from 2003, which was in effect for the 2012 election…
FEATURES, Redistricting Equal Population, Redistricting Litigation, Uncategorized, ,
Read More
NCSL Overview: Reallocating Incarcerated Persons for Redistricting

NCSL Overview: Reallocating Incarcerated Persons for Redistricting

By EditorMar 17, 2021
In this recent article, the National Conference of State Legislatures gives an overview of the fairly recent practice of prisoner reallocation in redistricting. This process refers to counting prisoners at their home address for redistricting purposes instead of the prison's address - which is what the census does. Prisoner reallocation involves obtaining records from prison officials and careful adjustment of official census data files. This overview explains the practice and how it relates to representation. Since this article was first published, Illinois became the tenth state to mandate prisoner reallocation beginning in 2030. Feb. 18, 2021: States redistrict their legislative…
FEATURES, Redistricting, Redistricting Prisoners, , , ,
Read More
How the Census Bureau Plans to Ensure an Accurate Census Group Quarters Count Despite Covid-19

How the Census Bureau Plans to Ensure an Accurate Census Group Quarters Count Despite Covid-19

By EditorMar 16, 2021
In this latest post from the Random Samplings Blog, Deborah Stempowski, Asst. Director for Decennial Census Programs, Operations and Schedule Mgmt, and James Christy, Asst. Director for Field Operations discuss the impact of Covid-19 on Group Quarters Data and how the Bureau has adjusted its post-data collection operations to ensure the accuracy of counts in colleges, group homes, prisons, and other group housing. Read the post below. 2020 Census Group Quarters: As we continue processing 2020 Census results, we’d like to provide more information on how we count people living in group quarters (GQs), such as nursing homes, military barracks…
Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, Redistricting,
Read More