8th Circuit Becomes the First to Deny Private Litigants Standing to Sue Under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act

8th Circuit Becomes the First to Deny Private Litigants Standing to Sue Under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act

By EditorJul 09, 2024
This Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP has decided against appealing an 8th Circuit ruling that individuals have no standing to sue under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling comes after decades of court cases that have allowed private litigants to sue under the Act. First a little background: Who Can Sue Under the Voting Rights Act Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) (found at 52 U.S.C. § 10301) prohibits discrimination in voting based on race, color, or membership in an enumerated language minority group. Since its enactment, courts have assumed that private citizens and…
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Campaign Legal Center Issues a Performance Review of Redistricting Commissions during the 2021 Cycle

Campaign Legal Center Issues a Performance Review of Redistricting Commissions during the 2021 Cycle

By EditorJul 03, 2024
On June 26, the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) released a report evaluating the performance of various redistricting commissions in the 2021 redistricting cycle. According to CLC, it was "based on an in-depth review of the laws and procedures that governed commissions in each state, as well as an assessment of each commission’s redistricting process. The report presents a number of case studies from the 2021 cycle, which summarize how particular commissions functioned in practice and distills general principles that can be drawn from each commission’s experience." Read the report titled "Redistricting Commissions in the 2021 Redistricting Cycle." Find us on:
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Pennsylvania: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Individuals’ Right to Sue Under Voting Rights Act of 1965

Pennsylvania: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Individuals’ Right to Sue Under Voting Rights Act of 1965

By EditorMay 03, 2024
Press Release: May 2, 2024 SCRANTON – The Justice Department announced that it has filed a statement of interest in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania supporting the right of private plaintiffs to bring a lawsuit to enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This filing is one of many recent briefs by the Justice Department supporting the longstanding principle that private plaintiffs are authorized to bring lawsuits to vindicate important rights protected by the Voting Rights Act. “The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy, and it is the right on which…
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Justice Department Launches Updated Voting Rights and Elections Website

Justice Department Launches Updated Voting Rights and Elections Website

By EditorApr 22, 2024
Press Release: April 18, 2024 New and Updated Voting Rights Resources for Voters and Election Officials Released The Justice Department announced today that it has updated www.justice.gov/voting, a one-stop resource providing voting and elections information for voters as well as state and local elections officials. As part of the update, the Civil Rights Division published two new informational guides on voting rights and updated five other guides. The Department’s longstanding practice is to update resources and provide information in election years on the efforts of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country,…
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New 2030 Census Advisory Committee Members Appointed

New 2030 Census Advisory Committee Members Appointed

By EditorApr 04, 2024
On Tuesday, March 26 the U.S. Census Bureau appointed members to the newly established 2030 Census Advisory Committee. Read the press release below. MARCH 26, 2024 — The U.S. Census Bureau today announced the appointment of 23 members to its new 2030 Census Advisory Committee (2030 CAC). The 2030 CAC members, who represent various stakeholder organizations, groups, interests and viewpoints, have extensive census and survey experience. Under its charter, the 2030 CAC will assist the Census Bureau in devising strategies to increase awareness of and participation in the next decennial census, reduce barriers to response and enhance the public’s trust and willingness to respond.…
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Redistricting Update. Week of February 11, 2024: News from FL, NY, NC, WA, and WI.

Redistricting Update. Week of February 11, 2024: News from FL, NY, NC, WA, and WI.

By EditorFeb 19, 2024
Redistricting developments in the states for the week of February 11, 2024. Click on the state button for more news and media. Florida Florida officials, legislators fight speeding up redistricting case New York New House lines approved in New York. What would change. North Carolina Redistricting plaintiffs oppose consolidation of two federal cases Washington What we can learn from Washington’s independent redistricting commission Wisconsin Wisconsin Legislature passes Democratic governor’s redistricting maps Find us on: This is some text Hey look. More text! Find us on:
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Redistricting Update. Week of January 28, 2024: News from FL, LA, MI, MO, NC, and WI.

Redistricting Update. Week of January 28, 2024: News from FL, LA, MI, MO, NC, and WI.

By EditorFeb 01, 2024
Redistricting developments in the states for the week of January 28, 2024. Click on the state button for more news and media. NationalRedistricting fights in these states could determine which party controls the US House (CNN) Florida Florida Supreme Court will consider challenge to DeSantis’ redistricting map Louisiana After a court fight, Louisiana's new congressional map boosts Black political power Louisiana lawmakers approve a new congressional map with a second majority-Black district Michigan Justices decline to intervene in Michigan redistricting dispute (scotusblog) Montana Montana officials discuss map redistricting North Carolina Judge denies injunction request in state Senate redistricting lawsuit Wisconsin…
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Redistricting Update. Week of January 21, 2024: News from FL, LA, MI, WA, and WI.

Redistricting Update. Week of January 21, 2024: News from FL, LA, MI, WA, and WI.

By EditorJan 22, 2024
Redistricting developments in the states for the week of January 21, 2024. Click on the state button for more news and media. NationalWhich states could get new congressional maps in 2024? (abcnews) The Failed Promise of Independent Election Mapmaking (ProPublica) Florida ACLU sues Daytona Beach, saying redistricting was driven by protecting incumbents Louisiana Louisiana lawmakers approve a new congressional map with a second majority-Black district Louisiana Legislature Passes Congressional Map With Two Majority-Black Districts Michigan Michigan’s Secretary of State asks Supreme Court to pause redistricting for 2024 Redistricting commission begins redrawing Detroit-area state House maps Washington Five new maps proposed…
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CA League of Women Voters and Common Cause Release Report & Recommendations for 2030 Redistricting Commission

CA League of Women Voters and Common Cause Release Report & Recommendations for 2030 Redistricting Commission

By EditorJan 17, 2024
The California League of Women Voters and Common Cause CA released a report recently summarizing the 2020 redistricting process with reform recommendations for the 2030 commission. Key recommendations include: Redistricting bodies should continue to use live line-drawing, stream public meetings, and facilitate remote participation when feasible to enhance transparency During the line-drawing process, prioritizing those areas of the state that involve complex Voting Rights Act analysis and compliance with communities of interest requirements. Codifying protections against minority vote dilution into state law to protect the rights of voters of color. The law should take into consideration the state’s multi-ethnic and…
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Analysis of Proposed Legislative Redistricting Plans submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court (Marquette University Law School)

Analysis of Proposed Legislative Redistricting Plans submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court (Marquette University Law School)

By EditorJan 15, 2024
In late December 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court invalidated the state legislative maps it had approved in 2022. The court's composition changed from a majority of conservative judges to a 4-3 liberal majority and a new lawsuit was filed claiming that many of the districts in the maps approved by the court were not contiguous - in violation of the state constitution. The court gave a January 12 deadline for parties to the litigation to submit maps, and 7 were submitted on the deadline. Marquette University Law School Professor John Johnson, a Research Fellow in the Lubar Center for Public…
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