Alaska Redistricting Board Adopts Proposed Redistricting Plans

Alaska Redistricting Board Adopts Proposed Redistricting Plans

By EditorSep 10, 2021
Press Release: Sept. 9 2021 For Immediate Release: September 9, 2021 ANCHORAGE – Today the Alaska Redistricting Board adopted two proposed redistricting plansin accordance with Alaska Constitution Article VI Section 10, which requires adoption of at leastone proposed plan within thirty days after the official reporting of the decennial census of theUnited States. The census data was received on August 12, 2021.“We have fulfilled our constitutional obligation and I’m pleased to begin the process of hearingfrom the public over the next 60 days as we develop our final plan,” said Board Member NicoleBorromeo. The Board will be meeting on Friday,…
Enacting a Redistricting Map, NEWS, POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting Commissions, , , ,
Read More
Justice Department Issues Guidance on Federal Statutes Regarding Redistricting and Methods for Electing Public Officials

Justice Department Issues Guidance on Federal Statutes Regarding Redistricting and Methods for Electing Public Officials

By EditorSep 01, 2021
Press Release: Sept. 1, 2021 Today the U.S. Department of Justice announced the release of a guidance document to ensure state, county, and municipal governments comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act concerning redistricting maps and methods of electing governmental bodies following the release of the 2020 Census redistricting data. “The right to vote is the right from which all other rights ultimately flow,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Discriminatory redistricting schemes or election practices threaten that fundamental right and are illegal. The guidance issued today makes clear that jurisdictions must abide by federal laws when redrawing…
LATEST, LAW, NEWS, Race in Redistricting, Redistricting, Redistricting Functions, Redistricting Race Rules, ,
Read More
Census Bureau Announces “Early” Release Date for Easier-to-Use Formats for Redistricting Data

Census Bureau Announces “Early” Release Date for Easier-to-Use Formats for Redistricting Data

By EditorSep 01, 2021
Press Release SEPT. 1, 2021 — The U.S. Census Bureau will release easier-to-use formats of the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File on September 16. Also on September 16, redistricting data will be available through the Census Bureau’s primary data dissemination tool, data.census.gov. The Census Bureau will also deliver an easy-to-use toolkit of DVDs and flash drives to state officials and public bodies responsible for their state’s legislative apportionment or districting. These data — first released August 12 — are currently available in a legacy format on the Census Bureau’s FTP site. These data are also available through various data visualizations. More information, including links to the…
Census Data and Geography, LATEST, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting Functions, , , ,
Read More
Listen: ACS ‘Broken Law’ Podcast Talks Redistricting Law and Policy with the Brennan Center’s Michael Li

Listen: ACS ‘Broken Law’ Podcast Talks Redistricting Law and Policy with the Brennan Center’s Michael Li

By EditorSep 01, 2021
The American Constitution Society's Lindsay Langholz interviews Michael Li (李之樸), Senior Counsel at the Brennan Center, to talk gerrymandering, census and redistricting ahead of the 2020 redistricting cycle in the states. ACS Broken Law Podcast: Episode 12: Preparing for Redistricting, Bracing for Gerrymandering (Aug 24, 2021)
Redistricting, Redistricting Functions, Redistricting Gerrymanders, , ,
Read More
Listen: JMU Podcast Interviews David Wasserman on What to Expect for the 2020 Redistricting Cycle

Listen: JMU Podcast Interviews David Wasserman on What to Expect for the 2020 Redistricting Cycle

By EditorSep 01, 2021
The James Madison Center for Civic Engagement Democracy Matters podcast series interviews redistricting expert David Wasserman, Senior Editor, U.S. House of Representatives for The Cook Political Report about what this redistricting cycle will look like across the nation. Listen below. Democracy Matters Podcast August 26, 2021
POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting, Redistricting Functions, Redistricting Litigation,
Read More
[Podcast] Partners at Akin Gump, and Professor/Consultant Kareem Crayton Discuss Redistricting Law and the Census

[Podcast] Partners at Akin Gump, and Professor/Consultant Kareem Crayton Discuss Redistricting Law and the Census

By EditorAug 30, 2021
ON-Air with Akin Gump digs into the legal side of redistricting. In this episode, Akin Gump litigation partner Hyongsoon Kim and Supreme Court and appellate senior counsel Aileen McGrath and Crimcard founder and managing partner Dr. Kareem Crayton discuss redistricting and the impact of the 2020 Census. Listen Below.  
Redistricting, Redistricting Functions, Redistricting Litigation, ,
Read More

Wisconsin Lawsuit is Third Court Challenge Anticipating a Political “Impasse” for Redistricting Maps

By EditorAug 14, 2021
Wisconsin voters join voters in Pennsylvania and Minnesota by initiating litigation in anticipation of a political impasse between the legislative and executive branches in the map-redrawing process. A group of voters filed suit on Friday - less than one day after 2020 census numbers were released to kick off the nationwide redistricting process. Claiming that there is "no reasonable prospect that Wisconsin's political branches will reach consensus to enact district plans in a timely manner," the plaintiffs are asking a federal district court to intervene to establish redrawn congressional and state legislative districts. The complaint points out that "In the…
Case Updates, Casedocs, Equal Protection, LAW, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, , , ,
Read More
NJ Supreme Court Selects 13th Congressional Commission Member after Commissioners Deadlock

NJ Supreme Court Selects 13th Congressional Commission Member after Commissioners Deadlock

By EditorAug 08, 2021
The New Jersey Supreme Court selected former Supreme Court Justice John E. Wallace, Jr. as the tiebreaking member of the Congressional Redistricting Commission. The 13-member NJ Redistricting Commission is responsible for redrawing congressional districts.  The appointed members of the commission were unable to agree on who to select as the independent 13th member before a mid-July deadline, and were required by state law to forward the two candidates who received the highest number of votes to the State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was tasked with selecting the "more qualified" of the two selections by majority vote of its full authorized membership…
NEWS, POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions, Redistricting Functions, ,
Read More

Parties Debate Timeliness of Lawsuit in PA Congressional Map Challenge

By EditorAug 08, 2021
A group of voters in Pennsylvania started the 2020 litigation cycle early by suing in Pennsylvania state court over the state's congressional map. The lawsuit presumes that the state legislature will not have enough time to enact a congressional map given its history of gridlock and a severely shortened mapmaking schedule due to late census redistricting data. It is asking the court to take jurisdiction now to avoid delays in redrawing congressional districts. The case is Carter v. Degraffenreid. Read the complaint here. The lawsuit was filed in April of 2021. This is an update on the status of the…
Case Updates, Casedocs, LAW, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigation, , , ,
Read More
VA State Redistricting Commission Divided on Map Drawing Approach

VA State Redistricting Commission Divided on Map Drawing Approach

By EditorAug 06, 2021
The Virginia Redistricting Commission was advised its lawyers to revise existing maps rather than start from scratch, due to time and resources constraints. Read the full wvtf.org story. Listen to audio excerpts from the commission meeting below. Full commission meeting video is available on the Virginia state almanac page. Virginia Public Radio : WVTF (Aug 4, 2021)  
NEWS, Official Redistricting Entities, POLICY and PRACTICE, Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions, Redistricting Functions, , ,
Read More