In 2012, 28 maps (12 congressional and 16 state legislative) were enacted, 30.11 percent of the total. October 3, 2021 12. These are linked below:[235][236][237], On February 19, 2018, the state supreme court voted 4-3 to adopt the remedial congressional plan drafted by Nate Persily. [160][161][162], North Carolina State Senate President Pro tem Phil Berger (R) and North Carolina House Speaker Timothy K. Moore (R) said in a joint statement on the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocking the order that:[163], Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue (D) said in a town hall in March 2017 that he was confident the special elections would happen in 2017. (Madison won anyway.). Mr. Gerry had the special misfortune of angering an editor at The Boston Gazette, who captioned a cartoon depicting a salamander-like state legislative district The Gerry-mander. On March 7, 2012, Mann issued her map, which was drawn by Nathaniel Persily, a professor at Columbia Law School. The panel, comprising Judges Paul C. Ridgeway, Joseph N. Crosswhite, and Alma L. Hinton, while noting that the plaintiffs had "demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits of their claims," said issuing a stay at this juncture "would interrupt voting by citizens already underway. State-by-state redistricting procedures - Ballotpedia The same three-judge panel, comprising Judges Paul C. Ridgeway, Joseph N. Crosswhite, and Alma L. Hinton, struck down the state's legislative district plan on similar grounds on September 3, 2019. This new map fails to respond to the courts order by continuing to split communities of interest, packing voters in urban areas, and manipulating the district lines to provide Republicans with an unfair partisan advantage." On June 27, 2019, the high court issued a joint ruling in this case and Rucho v. Common Cause, finding that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions that fall beyond the jurisdiction of the federal judiciary. In 2014 and 2015, the legislature made attempts to modify the districts approved in 2011. In a statement, Holder said, "The creation of additional districts in which African Americans have the opportunity to elect their preferred candidates in each of these states will be an important step toward making the voting power of African Americans more equal and moving us closer to the ideals of representative democracy." Illinois Democrats Map Aims to Grab 2 G.O.P. Kennedy wrote the following in the court's majority opinion:[315][316], Meanwhile, the Supreme Court affirmed the district court's ruling in the case of the remaining challenged district (District 75), arguing that the lower court's ruling was consistent with Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama, a case decided by the high court in 2015. The court ruled unanimously against the challengers, finding that they lacked standing to appeal. The Court issued its ruling on February 17, 1964. The district court also held that, although race was the predominant factor in the creation of one district, in doing so the General Assembly was pursuing a compelling state interest and its use of race was narrowly tailored to serve that interest. At issue was the constitutionality of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, which was established by state constitutional amendment in 2000. Because the present suit is indisputably 'an action challenging the constitutionality of the apportionment of congressional districts,' the District Judge was, We now note our jurisdiction and review the District Court's decision for an abuse of discretion, keeping in mind that a preliminary injunction, as 'an extraordinary remedy never awarded as of right.' [108][109][110], Following the 2010 United States Census, Michigan lost one congressional seat. While special elections have costs, those costs pale in comparison to the injury caused by allowing citizens to continue to be represented by legislators elected pursuant to a racial gerrymander. More than 60 percent of her constituents are Black, almost a third of the states Black population. On November 16, 2011, the legislature approved new congressional district boundaries, which were signed into law by the governor on November 21, 2011. According to Article 1, Section 4, of the United States Constitution, "the Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof." The court ordered that these two districts be redrawn. [118][35], Following the 2010 United States Census, New Hampshire neither gained nor lost congressional seats. 2) As weve seen in past elections, the Electoral College can throw off results of a whole election. Congressional elections in 2012 and 2014 took place under the congressional map approved in 2012. [240][241], In its order, the court set the primary election filing period for congressional candidates to begin on February 27, 2018, and to end on March 20, 2018. Democratic Governor Jay Nixon vetoed the legislature's congressional redistricting plan, but on May 4, 2011, the legislature overrode the veto and the new map became law. [140], On August 30, 2017, the remedial House and Senate district plans (HB 927 and SB 691, respectively) became law. The case, filed as Backus v. South Carolina, was appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court's decision on October 1, 2012. If you're having [279][280], On August 24, 2017, Judges Smith, Garcia, and Rodriguez issued a unanimous ruling finding that the 2013 maps for the following state House districts had been drawn with racially discriminatory intent on the part of the legislature:[281], Paxton announced that he intended to appeal the decision. Democrats won 50.6 percent of the statewide congressional vote, but only four out of 13 House seats. With fewer state governments divided by party than in years past, GOP has edge in redistricting. The legislature approved a state legislative redistricting plan on May 23, 2011, which was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry on June 17, 2011. The filing period had originally been set to open on December 2, 2019, and close on December 20, 2019. [195][196], On September 3, the court issued its ruling, striking down the state's legislative district plan as an impermissible partisan gerrymander under the state constitution. [131], The court ruled that no elections occurring after November 6, 2018, could be conducted using the congressional map it struck down. This is how the Electoral College assigns seats to the 50 states: state borders never change, so each state gets two seats, plus additional seats assigned based on its population. 4) How long have districts been drawn the way they are in Michigan? [246], On March 20, 2018, Rep. Cris Dush (R) introduced the following impeachment resolutions against the four justices who signed onto the state supreme court's ruling in League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania v. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:[247], Dush argued that these four justices, all Democrats, exceeded their authority by imposing a new district map, an action that, Dush argued, is the prerogative of the legislative and executive branches. [322][323][324][325][326], On January 22, 2019, the district court issued an order directing Grofman to finalize the district plan for the House of Delegates selected by the court. Solved Redistricting O A. happens every 4 years. B. is - Chegg [101][102], On February 1, 2019, the court rejected a proposed settlement in which maps for some state House districts would be redrawn in advance of the 2020 election. It's the redrawing of the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts. If that plan were not used this year, they contended, it could mean that the 2012 plan could not be replaced by a valid plan until the 2018 elections. Consequently, the state's courts were asked to intervene and adopt a new congressional map. The court appointed Columbia University law professor Nathaniel Persily. Republicans made this bed and now they must lie in it, and their efforts to delegitimize the special master and our judicial system are dangerous and destructive." The remedial Senate plan can be accessed here. "[242][243][244], On February 27, 2018, Turzai and Scarnati petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States for a stay of the state supreme court's order pending appeal. It is right and relevant to review past performance in drawing districts." Here in Michigan, for instance, we just amended our own state constitution to explicitly require partisan fairness, that is, that the maps be fair to all parties. The four remaining district maps adopted by the district court (in Hoke, Cumberland, Guilford, Sampson, and Wayne counties) were permitted to stand. They lost. These new maps resembled the second interim maps issued by the district court. These criteria included the following:[165][166][167], State Democrats criticized some of these criteria. At the time of redistricting, Republicans controlled both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly. On December 29, 2011, the final map was issued. E) has little appreciable effect on who wins or loses congressional races. Answer: The answer is B- is conducted by state legislatures Explanation: Redistricting is the process of adjusting the districts that determine who represents us. That leaves their numbers in the other districts too scant to win elections. The district court panel overseeing the case issued an order adopting Persily's recommendations on January 19, 2018. [329][330], Following the 2010 United States Census, West Virginia neither gained nor lost congressional seats. On September 27, 2011, the Maine State Legislature approved what All About Redistricting called a "substantially modified version of this plan." The new map makes lesser changes to the districts of three other Republicans, Reps. Lawyers representing Republican members of Congress from Virginia had warned that, without a delay, candidates would have to run two-front campaigns in five districts, running in both the districts as composed by the legislature and the new districts drawn up by the lower court. Congressional redistricting is a vital and politically charged issue. On April 8, 2014, Judge James Bredar rejected the plaintiffs' claim. This article deals with the redistricting efforts undertaken by the states after the 2010 census. On November 21, 2011, the United States Justice Department granted preclearance to Alabama's congressional district map. Take Oregons new congressional maps. Each state has its own process. Those Republican seats threatened to tip Democratic. Perhaps no city in America was more cracked than Austin, Tex., the only U.S. city of less than a million residents that was divided among six congressional districts. Further details about this case are provided below. [113][114], On September 23, 2011, opponents of the newly approved congressional district map filed suit in the Missouri 19th Judicial Circuit Court, alleging "partisan gerrymandering and deviations from state constitutional compactness requirements." We need districts roughly the same size. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; Ballotpedia features 408,500 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. [229][230], On February 9, 2018, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R) and House Speaker Mike Turzai (R) filed a remedial congressional district plan with Governor Tom Wolf (D). At the time of redistricting, Democrats controlled both chambers of the state legislature; a Republican held the governorship. The state of Wisconsin has competitive legislative districts that meet every traditional principle of redistricting. [282], On August 28, 2017, Associate Justice Samuel Alito of the Supreme Court of the United States stayed the district court's August 15 ruling on Texas' congressional district plan pending further review by the high court. Governor Ralph Northam (D) convened a special session of the legislature, beginning August 30, 2018, to redraw the maps. The lawmakers argued that implementation of this map would result in "electoral chaos" and "mass voter confusion." Instead, the District Court redrew those districts because it found that the legislature's revision of them violated the North Carolina Constitution's ban on mid-decade redistricting, not federal law. Associate Justice Stephen Breyer penned the opinion. By federal law, redistricting must occur following a census for two reasons. [18][19], On August 25, 2015, a federal court heard oral arguments in the case. The redistricting backup commission was convened to draw the map. Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch formed the majority. In Michigan, the public already did the hard work, amending the Michigan Constitution through a successful ballot initiative! The four remaining district maps adopted by the district court (in Hoke, Cumberland, Guilford, Sampson, and Wayne counties) were permitted to stand. This Court recognized that the primary responsibility for drawing congressional districts rested squarely with the legislature, but we also acknowledged that, in the eventuality of the General Assembly not submitting a plan to the Governor, or the Governor not approving the General Assemblys plan within the time specified, it would fall to this Court expeditiously to adopt a plan based upon the evidentiary record developed in the Commonwealth Court. [273][274][275], On August 15, 2017, Judges Smith, Garcia, and Rodriguez issued a unanimous ruling finding that the 2013 maps for congressional districts 27 and 35 had been drawn with racially discriminatory intent on the part of the legislature. D) must be approved by the highest court in each state. We hold that the federal Elections Clause violations that the Plaintiffs allege are not the Plaintiffs to assert. Associate Justice Elena Kagan penned a dissent, joined by Associate Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, and Sonia Sotomayor. And appealing to them is pushing incumbents and primary challengers alike to the political fringes. For full details on this case, see this article. The court ruled 2-1 on the matter, with Judges Kenneth Ripple and Barbara Crabb forming the majority. Its the redrawing of the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts. [238], Pennsylvania Democrats applauded the remedial map. On August 30, 2018, the district court ordered the state legislature to adopt a remedial plan for House District 90 no later than within 45 days of the start of the 2019 regular legislative session. [291][292], Following the 2010 United States Census, Utah gained one congressional seat. D. must be approved by the highest court in each state. Q&A: What Is Redistricting and Why Is It Controversial? "There are two ways to assign seats to different geographic areas: apportioning and redistricting. State Legislative and Congressional Redistricting after the 2010 Census, Population deviations for state legislative districts, How incarcerated persons are counted for redistricting, Lawsuits backed by National Redistricting Commission, State legislative district map challenges, State redistricting timelines following the 2010 census, California Proposition 40, State Senate Redistricting Plan Referendum (2012), Maryland Redistricting Referendum, Question 5 (2012), approved four redistricting ballot measures, California Citizens Redistricting Commission, Arguments for and against restoring Section 5 preclearance under the Voting Rights Act, Redistricting in Alabama after the 2010 census, United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Alabama House of Representatives District 32, Alabama House of Representatives District 53, Alabama House of Representatives District 54, Alabama House of Representatives District 70, Alabama House of Representatives District 71, Alabama House of Representatives District 77, Alabama House of Representatives District 82, Alabama House of Representatives District 85, Alabama House of Representatives District 99, National Democratic Redistricting Committee, United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Redistricting in Alaska after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Arizona after the 2010 census, Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Redistricting in Arkansas after the 2010 census, Redistricting in California after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Colorado after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Connecticut after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Delaware after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Florida after the 2010 census, Florida Congressional District Boundaries, Amendment 6 (2010), Redistricting in Georgia after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Hawaii after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Idaho after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Illinois after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Indiana after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Iowa after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Kansas after the 2010 census, United States District Court for the District of Kansas, Redistricting in Kentucky after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Louisiana after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Maine after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Maryland after the 2010 census, United States District Court for the District of Maryland, United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, Redistricting in Massachusetts after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Michigan after the 2010 census, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Redistricting in Minnesota after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Missouri after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Montana after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Nebraska after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Nevada after the 2010 census, Redistricting in New Hampshire after the 2010 census, Redistricting in New Jersey after the 2010 census, Redistricting in New Mexico after the 2010 census, Redistricting in New York after the 2010 census, Redistricting in North Carolina after the 2010 census, United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Redistricting in North Dakota after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Ohio after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Oklahoma after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Oregon after the 2010 census, Redistricting in Pennsylvania after the 2010 census, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania v. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack's proposal, Petitioners' proposal (i.e., League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, et al. The state legislature argued that the use of the word "legislature" in this context is literal; therefore, only a state legislature may draw congressional district lines. In the challengers' view, this approach foreclosed a holistic analysis of each district and led the District Court to give insufficient weight to the 55 percent [black voting age population] target and other relevant evidence that race predominated. On February 12, 2018, a panel of state superior court judges declined this request. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, an attorney for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, in a separate letter, said, "The General Assembly and its Legislative Data Processing Center do not maintain ESRI shapefiles that contain current boundaries of all Pennsylvania municipalities and precincts. The majority opinion read, in part, as follows:[238], Chief Justice Thomas Saylor filed a dissenting opinion, which read, in part, as follows:[239], Justices Sallie Mundy and Max Baer also penned individual dissents. We accordingly affirm the judgment of the District Court. In a press release, Wolf said, "The analysis by my team shows that, like the 2011 map, the map submitted to my office by Republican leaders is still a gerrymander. The opponents also argued that the challengers had little chance of getting the 2012 plan upheld by the Justices. At the time of the 2010 census, Section 4 provided a formula for identifying which jurisdictions had engaged in racial discrimination and remedies to alleviate the discrimination. Democrats in Congress initially sought to require independent redistricting panels in every state as part of the For the People Act, an omnibus voting bill that failed this year. On June 8, 2011, Governor Robert Bentley (R) signed the map into law. The breakdown of states that won and lost new seats as a result of congressional reapportionment are as follows:[2], Michael McDonald, of George Mason University, used census data to determine which state legislative districts were most underpopulated and most overpopulated as of the 2010 census. Consequently, the federal district court appointed a special master, Bernard Grofman, a political science professor at the University of California, Irvine, to draft a remedial map. To submit a letter to the editor for publication, write to. But Republicans retained control of the House by a wide margin, 234 seats to 201. On August 3, 2011, the Nevada First Judicial District Court appointed a three-member panel to draft a new congressional district map. But in simple terms, it refers to the intentional distortion of a map of political districts to give one party an advantage. The landmark Voting Rights Act prohibited racial discrimination in voting and ushered in a host of new protections. While all districts must have roughly the same population, mapmakers can make subjective decisions on how to draw the boundaries, and how to group voters in a district, to create a partisan tilt. Fair or not, whether Democrats or Republicans hold the majority power in Congress isnt in the hands of voters. [36], Following the 2010 United States, Colorado neither gained nor lost congressional seats. Instead, the court ordered the parties involved in the case to submit briefs outlining recommended remedies within 30 days. Check the topics you would like to read about. Lawmakers should take into account existing municipal boundaries when drawing districts. Associate Justice Samuel Alito penned the court's majority opinion, which was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch. The court found that "the legislature's use of broad demographic target percentages, without accounting for the political reality on the ground, left its plan insufficiently tailored to [Voting Rights Act] compliance." where the respective committees met and conducted the redistricting and reapportionment process. And it often leaves a legislature with a partisan slant that doesnt represent the statewide political balance. Rep. David Lewis (R) and Sen. Ralph Hise (R), the chairmen of their chambers' respective redistricting committees, issued a statement criticizing Persily's recommendations: "By making many changes Democrats demanded, Mr. Persily has confirmed our worst suspicions: this entire judicial process is little more than a thinly-veiled political operation where unelected judges, legislating from the bench, strip North Carolinians of their constitutional right to self-governance by appointing a left-wing California professor to draw districts handing Democrats control of legislative seats they couldnt win at the ballot box." He said the following:[163], On June 5, 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a unanimous per curiam ruling affirming the decision of the district court, which had earlier determined that the aforementioned 28 districts had been subject to an illegal racial gerrymander. [140], The court ordered state lawmakers to enact a new district map by September 1, 2017, for use in the 2018 general election. Shelby County appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case on the question of "whether Congress' decision in 2006 to reauthorize Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act under the pre-existing coverage formula of Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act exceeded its authority under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and thus violated the Tenth Amendment and Article IV of the United States Constitution. On May 3, 2019, a three-judge panel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ruled unanimously that Ohio's congressional district plan constituted an illegal partisan gerrymander. A trifecta occurs when one political party occupies these three positions in a state government: In states where legislatures and governors dominate the redistricting process, a party's trifecta status can be determinative. Well need to get creative, since its in the minority. [134][135], Democrats opposed the remedial plan and announced their intention to challenge it in court. The governor signed it into law on August 1, 2011. [123], Following the 2010 United States Census, New York lost two congressional seats. [265][266][35], On November 6, 2015, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas ordered that the state's existing district maps remain in place for the 2016 election cycle. Many states have other criteria: keeping districts geographically contiguous and compact, ensuring that elections will be competitive, or safeguarding partisan fairness so districts reflect statewide voting trends rather than giving one political party an unearned advantage. The court indicated that the redrawn maps for Senate Districts 21 and 28 and House Districts 21, 36, 37, 40, 41, 57, and 105 "either fail to remedy the identified constitutional violation or are otherwise legally unacceptable." Governor Martin O'Malley (D) amended this plan and submitted his final proposal to the state legislature on October 15, 2011. The compactness of the plan is superior or comparable to the other submissions[.] [103], On April 25, 2019, the court ruled unanimously that 34 congressional and state legislative districts had been subject to unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering, violating the plaintiffs' First Amendment associational rights. Are some more fair than others? The court ruled 7-1 on the case. [12][13][14][15], In April 2010, Shelby County, Alabama, filed suit against the federal government "seeking to have Section 5 [of the Voting Rights Act] declared unconstitutional." Congress may pass federal laws regulating congressional elections that automatically displace ("preempt") any contrary state statutes, or enact its own regulations concerning those aspects of elections that states may not have addressed. "Yes! The court ordered state lawmakers to turn over digital files containing information on the state's current congressional district boundaries by January 31, 2018. [332][35], On July 20, 2011, the state legislature approved a state legislative redistricting plan, which was signed into law on August 9, 2011. The new maps last for a decade. In the subsequent redistricting cycle, Democrats controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Changes to district maps can alter the balance of power in Congress and in the states. [100][35], On December 22, 2017, the League of Women Voters of Michigan, along with a group of Michigan Democrats, filed suit in federal court alleging that Michigan's congressional and state legislative district plans represented unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders (i.e., the plaintiffs argued that the state's district maps gave an unfair advantage to Republicans over Democrats). 3) Is every state in the U.S. redistricted similarly? At the time of redistricting, Republicans controlled both chambers of the Texas State Legislature and the governorship. This is also the first redistricting cycle without a protection under the Voting Rights Act known as preclearance. For decades, that required states with a history of voting discrimination to get federal approval before changing their voting laws or drawing new districts. [269][270], On April 20, 2017, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas ruled that some of the state house district boundaries adopted by the state legislature in 2011 had been drawn with racially discriminatory intent. Democrats lost five. [35], On November 1, 2011, the United States Department of Justice precleared these plans. "[327], Following the 2010 United States Census, Washington gained one congressional seat. The tables below compares the success rates of legislatures and commissions at having redistricting plans approved, either without court challenges or withstanding court challenges. [24][25], On June 13, 2018, attorneys for Democratic voters in three states (Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana) filed three separate lawsuits in federal court, alleging in each that existing congressional district maps prevented black voters from electing candidates of their choosing, in violation of the Voting Rights Act. On January 21, 2018, state Republican lawmakers filed a motion requesting that the court stay its order pending an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States. You are now signed up to receive the MSUToday Weekly Update. The maps were signed into law on August 24, 2011. On December 20, 2011, the state legislature approved a congressional redistricting plan, which was signed into law by Governor Tom Corbett on December 22, 2011. 6) Is there anything the public can do to change unfair redistricting? Larry Sabato, head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said, "[The remedial map] would nearly guarantee a Democratic takeover of the House of Delegates. The Remedial Plan is superior or comparable to all plans submitted by the parties, the intervenors, and amici, by whichever Census-provided definition one employs.
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