Tag

Gerrymandering

All articles tagged with #gerrymandering

politics1 hour ago

New York Democrats Press Two Pathways to Redraw the Map for 2028

New York Democrats plan to file two constitutional amendments to reshape redistricting for the 2028 maps: one allowing limited mid‑decade tweaks and another enabling a broad overhaul to ease partisan advantage. The plan requires the amendments to pass a second time and win a statewide referendum in 2027, with the process constrained by the state constitution, potential court challenges, and built‑in caution amid ongoing national redistricting debates.

Alabama asks Supreme Court to restore 2023 map after lower court found racial discrimination
politics3 hours ago

Alabama asks Supreme Court to restore 2023 map after lower court found racial discrimination

Alabama asked the Supreme Court for emergency relief to use the GOP-drafted 2023 congressional map, arguing a lower court’s finding that it was racially discriminatory would cause irreparable harm in the 2026 elections; the district court had previously invalidated the map and installed a court-drawn plan with two Black-majority districts, a ruling linked to the recent Voting Rights Act decision and ongoing legal battles over Alabama’s redistricting.

Alabama asks Supreme Court to pause 2023 map amid voting-rights challenge
politics4 hours ago

Alabama asks Supreme Court to pause 2023 map amid voting-rights challenge

Alabama asked the Supreme Court to stay a lower-court ruling blocking its 2023 congressional map from use in the 2026 elections, arguing the map dilutes Black votes and aligns with Louisiana v. Callais precedent and the Purcell principle. A Birmingham three-judge panel reaffirmed that the map was designed with intentional racial discrimination, a ruling Democrats view as a setback to GOP redistricting efforts. The state seeks a decision by June 1, underscoring ongoing tensions over how redistricting affects voting rights as elections approach.

DeSantis-backed Florida map advances to 2026 elections amid gerrymandering allegations
politics6 hours ago

DeSantis-backed Florida map advances to 2026 elections amid gerrymandering allegations

A judge appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis cleared Florida to use a new GOP-drawn congressional map for the 2026 midterms despite plaintiffs’ claims it violates the voter-approved ban on partisan gerrymandering; the judge found insufficient evidence of partisan intent, noting questions to the mapmaker were limited, and the plaintiffs plan to appeal the decision.

politics21 hours ago

Florida judge keeps DeSantis-backed congressional map in place for 2026 elections

A Florida circuit judge refused to block a newly adopted congressional map that could yield four additional GOP seats in 2026, signaling that the map will likely stay in place while the ongoing legal challenge over partisan redistricting proceeds. Judge Hawkes said delaying the map would create election chaos and noted that the state’s election machinery is already underway. The ruling does not decide the core constitutional questions about the map or the Fair Districts amendments; advocates for the challengers vow to keep fighting, potentially up to the Florida Supreme Court, while Republicans celebrate the maintained redraw amid population shifts and a looming federal court landscape.

SC Senate stalls on new congressional map as early voting nears
politics4 days ago

SC Senate stalls on new congressional map as early voting nears

South Carolina senators failed to reach the two-thirds threshold to suspend rules and advance a White House–backed congressional map before early voting for primaries, keeping the plan in limbo and prompting a potential rule-suspension clash that could push debate for days. If eventually enacted, the map would move the congressional primaries to August while other contests stay on the schedule, with ballots listing congressional candidates but votes not counted until a map is approved. Supporters argue the redraw is needed to counter partisan gerrymandering after past court rulings; opponents warn the timing is rushed and could lead to lawsuits as voters begin casting ballots.

Callais Verdict Reopens Wounds of the Voting Rights Era
politics5 days ago

Callais Verdict Reopens Wounds of the Voting Rights Era

The TPM piece links the Supreme Court’s Callais v. Louisiana ruling to the 1960s civil rights era, telling stories of violence and loss that helped drive the Voting Rights Act to argue the decision accelerates the rollback of Black political power in the South through aggressive redistricting, a trend historians call a grave setback and a call to renewed voting activism.

Court's Callais ruling unsettles decades of Black voting gains
opinion6 days ago

Court's Callais ruling unsettles decades of Black voting gains

In this Financial Times opinion, Sheila Bair argues that the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision abandons Section 2’s language and long-standing precedent by imposing a difficult intent standard for voting-discrimination claims, undermining roughly 60 years of progress in Black enfranchisement. The piece traces the history from White v. Regester to Mobile v. Bolden and the 1982 Dole compromise, warning that the Court’s approach could hamper challenges to discriminatory redistricting and enable partisan dilution of Black votes.

Gerrymandering as a Long Game: Republicans Reshape Maps to Diminish Black Representation
politics8 days ago

Gerrymandering as a Long Game: Republicans Reshape Maps to Diminish Black Representation

Guardian US columnist Jamil Smith argues that after the Supreme Court’s ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act, Republican-led states are redrawing electoral maps to erase Black political power for generations. He highlights Tennessee’s new map that disperses Memphis Black voters into Williamson County and points to similar moves in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, framing this as a deliberate, long-term project akin to Jim Crow. The piece warns that affordability politics won’t save democracy if representation is decimated and calls for naming and resisting these structural changes rather than hoping for a quick fix.

Florida Court Mulls Partisan Intent Behind GOP Redistricting
politics10 days ago

Florida Court Mulls Partisan Intent Behind GOP Redistricting

Plaintiffs urge a Florida court to block Governor DeSantis’ new congressional map, arguing it violates the state ban on partisan gerrymandering by showing clear partisan intent; defenders say the map aligns with post-Callais interpretations of race and voting rules. Judge Joshua Hawkes indicated skepticism toward the plaintiffs’ evidence of intent, and the case could test whether the Fair Districts Amendment remains enforceable after the Supreme Court’s Callais ruling and whether the map can be blocked for the 2026 elections.