Virginia Supreme Court to Mull Governor’s Felon Voting Rights Expansion

Virginia Supreme Court to Mull Governor’s Felon Voting Rights Expansion

By EditorJun 10, 2016
Virginia - The Virginia Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe’s April order restoring voting rights to over 200,000 of the state's felons in a special session scheduled for Tuesday, July 19. The Virginia Attorney General plans a four-point defense of the governor's authority under the State constitution to restore felon voting rights. Read more in the Richmond Free Press. The change is sweeping: Nearly half of African-Americans in Virginia, which makeup 20% of the population - are affected by the civil war era law. Read more in the New York Times. Watch a local television…
Redistricting,
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Several Ohio Election Administration Practices Invalidated by Courts

Several Ohio Election Administration Practices Invalidated by Courts

By EditorJun 10, 2016
Ohio - A federal judge blocked several restrictions on the casting and counting of absentee ballots instituted by the Republican Secretary of State.  This is the second defeat to GOP-backed voting restrictions in the state in the last two weeks. GOP voting procedures have been rebuffed on constitutional grounds by both Democrat and Republican judges.  Officials still plan to appeal. Read more in the Columbus Dispatch. Another federal judge restored the state's elimination of a specific time period that eligible voters could register and cast an absentee ballot on the same day. A shortened early voting period was also restored. Read more in…
REFORM, , ,
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Gerrymandering Explained by MTV

Gerrymandering Explained by MTV

By EditorMay 12, 2016
How does MTV explain gerrymandering to its core audience? With Oreo cookies of course.  Other snacks are used to portray how students in a class my divided based on their common snack interests.  The analogy leaves out crucial one-person one-vote issues, but provides a quick visual into the electoral map-drawing process.  Despite the shaky electoral analogies, the article discusses fairness issues in map-drawing and the role of commissions and ballot initiatives. Interestingly, the article reports on an initiative in North Carolina to demonstrate "good-government" redistricting via a panel of retired judges who will redraw the states' electoral map. This mock commission is…
Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, , , ,
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Arizona County Announces Reform Commission After Primary Election Disaster

Arizona County Announces Reform Commission After Primary Election Disaster

By EditorMay 11, 2016
Arizona - After a fiasco of a primary election, Maricopa County, Arizona will establish a new election reform commission to provide "oversight" over election officials.  Maricopa's election "disaster" included long waiting lines to vote after a nearly 70% decrease in polling places, errors on the ballots, and flawed registration procedures.  The Phoenix New Times reports the county recorder and Secretary of State are resisting calls for resignation after this election administration failure. Read more.
REFORM, , , ,
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Evenwel SCOTUS Decision News and Analysis Round Up

Evenwel SCOTUS Decision News and Analysis Round Up

By EditorApr 05, 2016
The first round of media, academia and policy wonks have weighed in on the somewhat surprising unanimous decision by the Supreme Court this week in the much anticipated equal population case Evenwel v. Abbott.  Here is the News Analysis Round-up:       How A Challenge to Legislative Redistricting Backfired.  The Atlantic CVAP (Citizens of Voting Age Population) Lives to Fight Another Day.  Forbes The Supreme Court upheld ‘one person, one vote.’ But don’t expect the battle over counting Americans to end.  Wash. Post Analysis: In Texas Case, Supreme Court Rules Nonvoters are People, Too. Texas Tribune District Fight May…
Redistricting, , ,
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Supreme Court Decides “Evenwel” Equal Population Case: Read the Opinion

Supreme Court Decides “Evenwel” Equal Population Case: Read the Opinion

By EditorApr 04, 2016
Wash. DC - The Supreme Court just released its opinion in Evenwel v. Abott, a challenge to redistricting based on "total population" versus eligible or registered voters.  Read the pre-decision discussion here. Redistricting expert Nathaniel Persily's brief is here.  Listen to the Supreme Court oral argument here.  The court flatly ruled against requiring redrawn districts to equalize voting eligible populations and noted the founding fathers acceptance of "total population" as an appropriate denominator.  In the words of the Court: "Settled practice confirms what constitutional history and prior decisions strongly suggest. Adopting voter-eligible apportionment asconstitutional command would upset a well-functioning approach todistricting…
Casedocs, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation,
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