Understanding the Iowa Model for Redistricting

By EditorMar 10, 2021

The "Iowa Model" for redistricting is perhaps the least understood state procedure for redistricting. Iowa is often lauded as the nonpartisan ideal for redrawing boundaries, but in reality, nonpartisan staff draw maps that are advisory in nature and the legislature may direct staff to make changes. Ultimately the legislature can amend the map or simply draw its own. The process however is strictly nonpartisan in the sense that no political data is used in drawing maps and since the statute establishing the process was enacted in 1980, the state legislature has adopted maps drawn by staff. Below is the National…

Enacting a Redistricting Map, FEATURES, Redistricting, Redistricting CriteriaAnalysis, BASICS, Iowa

What Will an Updated Voting Rights Act Preclearance Formula Look Like?

By EditorMar 10, 2021

The U.S. Supreme Court effectively halted administrative preclearance for redistricting maps (as well as other voting changes) for states required to do so under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (see Shelby County v. Holder). This ended the need for the Justice Dept. to preapprove redistricting maps in TX, Georgia, Alabama, several more states, and some local jurisdictions. While the court did not actually invalidate section 5, it did declare the formula that determines which states are covered under section 5 unconstitutional because it had not been updated for some time. With Democrats in control of Congress and the…

LAW, Race in Redistricting, Redistricting, Voting Rights ActAnalysis, HR4, lawindepth, lpvra, Preclearance, Voting Rights Act

Census Bureau Director’s Blog Post: “Anomalies” in Data are Not as Scary as they Sound

By EditorMar 09, 2021

Michael Thieme, Assistant Director for Decennial Census Programs discusses the back-office processing of census data "anomalies" and what that really means. The article, by Thieme's admission, is meant to address the confusion surrounding the term and explain that anomalies are "a signal that the quality checks on the census are working." He gives a detailed and informative look at just what anomalies really are and how the Census Bureau addresses them, including the various categories of anomalies. Thieme also assures readers that "we have not found any anomalies that are impossible to fix." Read the blog entry here.

Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, FEATURESAnalysis, census, census 2020, dataindepth, redistricting data, U.S. Census Bureau

New York State Officials Sued Over Funding for Redistricting Commission

By EditorMar 09, 2021

The controversy over funding of the New York Redistricting Commission has come to a head as two individuals sue the governor and other state officials over the impasse. One plaintiff is a former candidate for the state legislature and the other, a member of the commission itself. They challenge the decision to provide funding for the commission through a third-party organization as opposed to a direct appropriation, which they claim is required by the state constitutional provision establishing the commission. This is the latest in a months-long saga for the commission that began when funds were not appropriated to the…

Case Updates, LATEST, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions, State Lawslpother, new york, redistricting commissions, STATENEWS

Idaho: Review of Litigation in the 2010 Redistricting Cycle

By EditorMar 09, 2021

In 2012, the Idaho Supreme Court Invalidated the legislative map adopted by Idaho Commission on Redistricting on state constitutional grounds. Twin Falls County v. Idaho Comm’n on Redistricting, No. 39373, 2012, 271 P.3d 1202 (Idaho 2012). This case involves a state constitutional challenge to the legislative apportionment plan adopted by the Idaho Commission on Redistricting. Plaintiffs argued the plan adopted by the commission violated art. III, § 5, of the Idaho Constitution, which states that “a county may be divided in creating districts only to the extent it is reasonably determined by statute that counties must be divided to create senatorial…

NEWS, Redistricting Litigation, State Lawsidaho

Highlights of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4)

By EditorMar 09, 2021

During the 116th congress in 2019, the Voting Rights Advancement Act was introduced in the Senate by Senator Leahy. The bill is expected to be reintroduced in some form in the current 117th congress. Below are the highlights of the bill’s provisions as articulated by Sen. Leahy’s office. You can read a more in-depth explanation of the first two points here. creates a new coverage formula that applies to all states and hinges on a finding of repeated voting rights violations in the preceding 25 years. establishes a targeted process for reviewing voting changes in jurisdictions nationwide, focused on measures…

LAW, Race in Redistricting, Redistricting Race Rules, Voting Rights ActBASICS, national, Voting Rights Act

PlanScore Announces Online Redistricting App for Measuring Partisan Bias

By EditorMar 07, 2021

As the push for more transparency and less partisanship in redistricting intensifies, PlanScore aims to be "a trusted, non-partisan resource for the redistricting efforts to come in the 2020 cycle." The nonprofit organization formed by top legal, academic, and technical experts in the field, will do this by offering an online diagnostic tool for redistricting maps. The Online App The online service will assist legislative staff and the general public by allowing any geographic file uploaded by site visitors to be checked for its partisan, demographic, racial, and geometric features. The analysis gives plan-wide scores for several statistical measures that…

DATA and TECHNOLOGY, FEATURES, NEWS, Partisan Gerrymandering, Redistricting, Redistricting GerrymandersAnalysis, dataindepth, planscore, redistricting data

Listen: Census Bureau Official and NCSL Director Discuss Redistricting Data Quality and Delays

By EditorMar 07, 2021

In this "Our American States" podcast hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) James Whitehorne, chief of the Redistricting and Voting Rights Data Office at U.S. Census Bureau, and Wendy Underhill, who oversees the Elections and Redistricting Program at NCSL discuss how the pandemic affected the bureau’s ability to collect data, and how states are responding to the six-month delay for redistricting data. Podcast https://redistrictingonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/OAS_Episode_124.mp3 For more podcasts visit the Our American States Podcast Page at NCSL.org

Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, FEATURES, LATEST, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting PrepAnalysis, census, census 2020, dataindepth, ncsl, podcast, redistricting data, U.S. Census Bureau

Amendments to H.R. 1 Take Congressional Map-Drawing Out of the Hands of State Legislatures in 2021

By EditorMar 03, 2021

In mid-February, we reported about potential sweeping reforms of the congressional redistricting process in the states proposed by Congress. The bill (H.R. 1) would have been effective in 2030 but newly added amendments on Monday, make it a requirement for states this year. Yes. This year. The amended H.R.1 requires states to either create an agency to establish a commission or designate an existing one to carry out a detailed commissioner selection process. The procedural requirements are substantial and maps created by the commission must meet various rigorous statistical measures to avoid partisan gerrymandering. A vote is scheduled on the…

LATEST, Redistricting Commissions, Redistricting Criteria, REFORMcongress, national, partisan gerrymandering, policyindepth, redistricting reform

Listen: Supreme Court Oral Argument in Brnovich Voting Rights Act (sec. 2) Case

By EditorMar 03, 2021

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, a lawsuit challenging Arizona's out-of-precinct policy on Election Day, which does not count provisional ballots cast in person that were cast outside of the voter’s designated precinct and its ballot-collection law, which permits only certain persons to handle another person’s completed early ballot. The lawsuit contends these laws violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. While redistricting maps are often challenged for minority vote dilution under Section 2 of the Act, this case involves claims of vote denial as opposed to vote dilution and centers around…

LATEST, LAW, Redistricting, VIDEO, Voting Rights ActArizona, lawindepth, lpscotus, lpvra, national