Delaware Passes Law Restoring Voting Rights to Felons With Outstanding Court Debts

Delaware Passes Law Restoring Voting Rights to Felons With Outstanding Court Debts

By EditorJul 18, 2016
Delaware - Gov. Jack Markell on Wednesday signed a bill that allows felons to vote before they have paid all fines, fees and restitution. Previously, all fines, charges, fees associated with a conviction had to be satisfied before restoration of voting rights. The Delaware legislature recently removed a 5 year waiting period requirement for felons that served their sentences. According to the Washington Post, Delaware had been one of only 3 states requiring financial restitution as a condition of voting privilege restoration.
Redistricting, Redistricting Race Rules, , ,
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Judicial Watch to Defend Voters Challenging Constitutionality of Maryland’s Congressional Redistricting Maps

Judicial Watch to Defend Voters Challenging Constitutionality of Maryland’s Congressional Redistricting Maps

By EditorJul 12, 2016
WASHINGTON, DC--( July 08, 2016) - A special, three-judge panel will consider a constitutional challenge to Maryland's gerrymandered congressional district map on Tuesday, July 12. Judicial Watch Attorney Robert Popper will appear before the panel on behalf of voters from each of Maryland's eight congressional districts. The plaintiffs challenging Maryland's congressional district plan include Maryland Delegates Neil C. Parrott and Matt Morgan, and former Maryland legislator and gubernatorial candidate Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey. Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit on June 24, 2015, in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland against Maryland's state administrator of elections and the…
Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, ,
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(Video) Court to Decide Illinois Redistricting Reform Fate Soon

(Video) Court to Decide Illinois Redistricting Reform Fate Soon

By EditorJul 07, 2016
Illinois - Redistricting reform in Illinois will soon get a decision from a court on whether a proposed 11 member redistricting commission can be submitted to voters as a ballot initiative for an up or down vote.  Listen to this local ABC news station interview a representative from the reform group behind the ballot measure on its prospects.   http://abc7chicago.com/video/embed/?pid=1411236
Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions, REFORM, ,
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Colorado Redistricting Reform Fails

Colorado Redistricting Reform Fails

By EditorJul 06, 2016
Colorado - The State's Supreme Court has thrown out two constitutional ballot measures that would have changed how Colorado draws its congressional and state legislative maps. A 4-3 decision ruled that the measures were in violation of the state constitution's "single-subject" rule. The measures would have established a 12- member nonpartisan commission to redraw congressional and state legislative districts. Read more here.
Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions, REFORM, ,
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Book Review: Daley’s “Rat**cked” Tackles Redistricting Through the Decades

Book Review: Daley’s “Rat**cked” Tackles Redistricting Through the Decades

By EditorJun 27, 2016
New York - Pulitzer prize-winning writer Elizabeth Kolbert and staff writer for the New Yorker, reviews this book: "Ratf**ked," detailing the Republican party's Redistricting Majority Project or "REDMAP." This was a strategic effort beginning decades ago to realign the electoral map in favor the party.  Written by David Daley, editor of Salon.com - the book describes its provocative title as an actual term of art, associated with dirty tricks for partisan advantage; gerrymandering was one of them.  Spoiler alert: the Voting Rights Act helped their efforts, especially in the 1990's.  Interestingly, Kolbert's article identifies Virginian Patrick Henry as the first person…
Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, REFORM, , , , ,
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City in Orange County California Skips Court and Abolishes At-Large Voting

City in Orange County California Skips Court and Abolishes At-Large Voting

By EditorJun 16, 2016
San Juan Capistrano, CA - This town of around 35,000 in Orange County, California boasts a burgeoning Latino population of nearly 40%. City council members have been historically elected at-large by city voters, but a recent lawsuit field by a Latino voting rights group sparked debate and in the end, city officials agreed to elect council members by district; five districts to be exact.       The elections for the districts are staggered; two seats will be up this year. The remaining in 2018. Once all of the districts are in place, Latinos will comprise a substantial portion of two districts,…
Local Redistricting, Redistricting, , , ,
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NAACP-LDF Releases Catalog of Voting Law Changes Since Shelby Decision

NAACP-LDF Releases Catalog of Voting Law Changes Since Shelby Decision

By EditorJun 14, 2016
Washington, DC - Last week the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund released this report detailing state, county, and local voting changes proposed or implemented,  during the past three years since the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder halting the Department of Justice's preclearance system that operated to preapprove voting changes made by covered states. As the report indicates, a majority of preclearance activity (80%) had been to approve voting changes on the local level. Dramatic reduction in the number of polling places, and widespread purging of voter rolls have been on the rise since Shelby. The report…
Race in Redistricting, Redistricting Race Rules, , , ,
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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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