gerrymandering
July 7, 2022 -
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider a fringe legal theory that would give state lawmakers even more leeway to gerrymander, suppress voters, and possibly overturn presidential election results. Four conservative justices agree with the theory, and the appeal out of North Carolina will reveal if the court's majority does. A proposed constitutional amendment could provide a fix.
June 8, 2022 -
Texas is heading to court to defend new election districts that divide and disempower Black and Latino communities while benefiting the GOP. The districts remain in play for this year's elections, but judges could order new ones before 2024.
April 21, 2022 -
Over protests by the state's Black lawmakers, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed his fellow Republicans to adopt a congressional district map that is expected to slash the number of Black representatives for the state. The new map could be challenged in court, but appellate courts have recently sided with the GOP in voting rights cases.
February 24, 2022 -
With federal courts limiting the scope of protections, voting rights advocates are turning to state courts to challenge election districts for violating state constitutional rights. A recent ruling in North Carolina has given hope to voters who've filed similar lawsuits in other Southern states.
December 16, 2021 -
Southern states' new Republican-drawn election maps would mean less political power for communities of color in the Black Belt region. Voters there are now asking state and federal courts to decide if the new districts violate state or federal law, including the Voting Rights Act.
December 6, 2021 -
Prisons inflate the political representation of the communities that host them — without any say from prisoners themselves.
December 2, 2021 -
Voting rights groups have filed multiple lawsuits against North Carolina lawmakers over their new legislative and congressional district maps, which advantage the GOP. The state Supreme Court could have the final say on the cases, as well as another lawsuit challenging a gerrymandered legislature's authority. But before the court weighs in, it must deal with conflicts of interest.
