redistricting

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Alabama's Congressional Map Is Again Rejected, With Scolding

Latest redistricting doesn't comply with court order on racial makeup, panel says

(Newser) - Federal judges threw out Alabama's newest attempt to redraw its congressional districts on Tuesday, chastising the state for not complying with the Voting Rights Act as mandated by a court order. The plan approved by the legislature provides for a single district that has, barely, a Black majority, the...

SCOTUS Delivers Big Voting Setback to GOP

6-3 ruling says states don't have absolute power to set federal election rules

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday put a major check on state powers when it comes to setting federal election rules. In its 6-3 ruling, one of the most closely watched of this term, the justices rejected the controversial "independent state legislature" doctrine , reports Politico . The doctrine, advanced by conservatives,...

Surprise SCOTUS Ruling Hands Victory to State's Black Voters

Decision orders creation of second Black-majority district in Alabama

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a surprising 5-4 ruling in favor of Black voters in a congressional redistricting case, ordering the creation of a second district with a large Black population, per the AP . Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined with the court's liberals in...

In North Carolina, GOP Scores Big Court Wins

Rulings may give Republicans an edge in next congressional elections

(Newser) - In massive victories for Republicans, the North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday threw out a previous ruling against gerrymandered voting maps and upheld a photo voter identification law that colleagues had struck down as racially biased. The rulings likely give the GOP-controlled legislature the ability to rework the state's...

On Supreme Court Docket This Week: Big Elections Case

Decision on congressional maps in North Carolina could be wide-reaching

(Newser) - The Supreme Court is about to confront a new elections case, a Republican-led challenge asking the justices for a novel ruling that could significantly increase the power of state lawmakers over elections for Congress and the presidency. The court is set to hear arguments Wednesday in a case from North...

Supreme Court Heads Off Second Black District for State

Justices block lower court ruling over Voting Rights Act issues in Louisiana

(Newser) - The US Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold a lower court ruling that Louisiana must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. As a result, Louisiana's November congressional elections will be held using a Republican-drawn map with white majorities in five of...

Supreme Court Gives Democrats a Victory

Rejects GOP redistricting plans in NC, Pennsylvania

(Newser) - In a victory for Democrats, the Supreme Court has turned away efforts from Republicans in North Carolina and Pennsylvania to block state court-ordered congressional districting plans, the AP reports. In separate orders late Monday, the justices are allowing maps selected by each state's Supreme Court to be in effect...

Justice Department Sues Texas Over New Maps

Attorney general says redrawn districts discriminate against minorities

(Newser) - The Department of Justice sued Texas over new redistricting maps Monday, saying the plans discriminate against voters in the state’s booming Latino and Black populations, per the AP . The lawsuit, filed in the Western District of Texas, claims the state violates part of the Voting Rights Act. It is...

GOP Rebuilds House Districts to Win for Years

New lines set up Republicans to take control next year

(Newser) - The redrawing of congressional district lines is not only giving Republicans a shot at flipping five or more House seats, it's taken another step toward making elections less competitive and the nation more divided. With approval ratings already down for President Biden and Democrats, the GOP could be unbeatable...

New York Lost a House Seat by Insanely Small Margin
New Yorkers Get a Lesson
on Returning Census Forms
the rundown

New Yorkers Get a Lesson on Returning Census Forms

If only 89 more people had returned 2020 forms, state would not have lost a House seat

(Newser) - New census numbers released Monday show that US population growth has slowed significantly in the last decade. The numbers also confirm that the population continues to shift to the West and the South and away from the Northeast and the Midwest, notes Intelligencer . A look at some of the other...

Census Moves House Seats to Texas, Florida

Republicans to benefit right away, but possibly not in the long run

(Newser) - The nation's political center of gravity shifted farther to the Republican-led South and West on Monday, with Texas, Florida, and other Sun Belt states gaining congressional seats while chillier climes like New York and Ohio lost them. Altogether, the US population rose to 331,449,281, the Census Bureau...

Judges Reject North Carolina Districts for 2020 Elections

GOP had said there was nothing wrong with drawing congressional lines to favor Republicans

(Newser) - North Carolina judges on Monday blocked the state's congressional map from being used in the 2020 elections, ruling that voters had a strong likelihood of winning a lawsuit that argued Republicans unlawfully manipulated district lines for partisan gain. The panel of three Superior Court judges issued a preliminary injunction...

Big Decision in Michigan Gerrymandering Case

Judges order state to redraw dozens of districts

(Newser) - Michigan must redraw dozens of congressional and legislative districts for the 2020 election because Republicans configured them to guarantee their political dominance over the last decade by unconstitutionally diluting the power of Democratic voters, federal judges ruled Thursday. In a 3-0 ruling—which will be appealed—the panel gave the...

'Fairness Formula' Could Redraw State's Voting Map

Missouri is using first-of-its-kind formula

(Newser) - The votes won't be cast for another four years, yet Democrats already appear likely to gain seats in Missouri's Republican-dominated Legislature in 2022. The reason: a one-of-its kind redistricting initiative approved by voters in the recent midterm elections. Missouri's initiative marks a new frontier in a growing...

In Blow to Democrats, Court Allows Texas Voting Maps

Supreme Court overrules lower court

(Newser) - A divided Supreme Court kept Texas' voting maps largely intact Monday, dealing an election-year blow to Democrats by reversing earlier findings that intentional racial discrimination continues to stain several statehouse and congressional districts. The 5-4 decision comes nine months after Democrats had celebrated lower court rulings that invalidated parts of...

Supreme Court Just Punted on a Major Voting Issue

Justices sidestep big-picture ruling about gerrymandering

(Newser) - The Supreme Court has ruled on two gerrymandering cases from Wisconsin and Maryland—but without deciding on the broader issue of whether electoral maps can give an unfair advantage to a political party, the AP reports. The justices unanimously ruled against Wisconsin Democrats who challenged legislative districts that gave Republicans...

Here's the Lineup of Big Cases Headed to SCOTUS

Justices to take on worker rights, religious freedom, redistricting, sports betting cases

(Newser) - The Supreme Court term that, by law, begins on the first Monday in October includes several high-profile cases dealing with controversial social issues or with the potential to affect millions of Americans. The justices probably won't hear the dispute over President Trump's travel ban, originally scheduled for October,...

Supreme Court Backs 'One Person, One Vote'

Challenge to long-held principle is rejected

(Newser) - A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can count everyone, not just eligible voters, in deciding how to draw electoral districts, turning back a challenge from Texas voters that could have dramatically altered district boundaries and disproportionately affected the nation's Latino population, reports the AP . The decision is...

Texas Voting Maps Discriminate: US Court

Victory for minority activists, but state plans to appeal

(Newser) - A federal court says Texas' new voting maps, redrawn by a Republican legislature, violate the Voting Rights Act. They contain signs of discrimination against minorities, judges said in a 154-page opinion. "The three-judge panel unanimously found intentional discrimination across the state. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about...

Blue Dog Dems Ousted in Pennsylvania
Blue Dog Dems Ousted
in Pennsylvania

Blue Dog Dems Ousted in Pennsylvania

Redistricting leads to primary losses for Holden, Altmire

(Newser) - Conservative, "Blue Dog" Democrats became even more of an endangered species after a pair of primary defeats in Pennsylvania Tuesday. Rep. Tim Holden—the dean of the state's Congressional delegation—was defeated in a redrawn district by lawyer Matt Cartwright, who attacked Holden for voting against ObamaCare, the...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Popular on Newser
We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy.