New PA Maps In Effect

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Aren't at Large State Congressional delegations unconstitutional?

They are not and were actually pretty common prior to the 60s. However they are now prohibited by a 1964 federal law.

[Greedo punched first]

1967 Federal statute. Hawaii and New Mexico are exempt. HI and NM can use multi-member districts.

[Badger]

1967 Federal statute. Hawaii and New Mexico are exempt. HI and NM can use multi-member districts.

Neat! I never knew.

[LimoLiberal]

Siren --->

https://twitter.com/rickhasen/status/971818952253833216

[Nyvin]

Siren --->

https://twitter.com/rickhasen/status/971818952253833216

Wasn't the date set to 3/9/2018?

[henster]

Siren --->

https://twitter.com/rickhasen/status/971818952253833216

Wasn't the date set to 3/9/2018?

There is a federal trial with argument slated to begin tomorrow and a request for a SCOTUS stay so two different lawsuits in two different courts. Maybe Alito is waiting for the lower court to make a ruling or he's referred it to the entire court.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

The map is here to stay.

[Antonio the Sixth]

No ruling from the federal panel yet. Ugh.

[nclib]

I doubt PA having at-large voting for 18 seats, will result in 18 Dems, but Dems (unlike Repubs) actually care about having fair maps.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I doubt PA having at-large voting for 18 seats, will result in 18 Dems, but Dems (unlike Repubs) actually care about having fair maps.

Not really. MD is egregious.

[Doimper]

I doubt PA having at-large voting for 18 seats, will result in 18 Dems, but Dems (unlike Repubs) actually care about having fair maps.

Not really. MD is egregious.

Not really. Andy Harris's district easily could've been gerrymandered into oblivion if the legislature had wanted.

[CatoMinor]

I doubt PA having at-large voting for 18 seats, will result in 18 Dems, but Dems (unlike Repubs) actually care about having fair maps.

Not really. MD is egregious.

Not really. Andy Harris's district easily could've been gerrymandered into oblivion if the legislature had wanted.

that does nothing to change the fact however that MD has a horrific looking map.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I doubt PA having at-large voting for 18 seats, will result in 18 Dems, but Dems (unlike Repubs) actually care about having fair maps.

Not really. MD is egregious.

Not really. Andy Harris's district easily could've been gerrymandered into oblivion if the legislature had wanted.

It takes the utmost partisan hack not to think Maryland is not an egregious gerrymander. I guess we can also thank the generous Ohio and PA GOP for at least leaving a couple seats behind in Pittsburgh and Columbus. The MD lines are egregious, and O'Malley and Delaney even admitted that they carved out MD 6. MD is non negotiable as a gerrymander, 7 to 1 representation is completely unfair.

[Roronoa D. Law]

I doubt PA having at-large voting for 18 seats, will result in 18 Dems, but Dems (unlike Repubs) actually care about having fair maps.

Not really. MD is egregious.

Not really. Andy Harris's district easily could've been gerrymandered into oblivion if the legislature had wanted.

Yeah, an 8D-0R map could've/likely would've looked much better aesthetically than the current map.

You mean this map

[YE]

MD should be 6-2 but the Dems could have drawn 8-0 if they wanted and did not.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

MD should be 6-2 but the Dems could have drawn 8-0 if they wanted and did not.

[nclib]

Also, the main reason it looks so bad is because of incumbent demands rather than partisanship.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The MD gerrymander is awful and should absolutely be struck down (and hopefully it will, alongside the WI one, this Summer) but can we please keep this thread on topic? We should get news of the federal court case any day now.

[Badger]

The Maryland gerrymander will be tossed out, hopefully, and Marilyn will get to a 6 to democratic to Republican majority as expected, instead of the current lopsided 7 to 1 monstrosity.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

The Maryland gerrymander will be tossed out, hopefully, and Marilyn will get to a 6 to democratic to Republican majority as expected, instead of the current lopsided 7 to 1 monstrosity.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The argument the plaintiffs in the Maryland case are making is absurd. I don't have a problem with a Democratic gerrymander being thrown out if the precedent allows for Republican ones to be trashed as well, but that is a really really terrible line of argument to base a case on. Interestingly it's also made even weaker by that MD-06 was close in 2014.

(FYI it's basically that the current map made MD-06 no longer a Republican district and thus it violated the First Amendment rights of Republicans in the district as its now harder for them to elect a representative of their party.)

[Gass3268]

Should note that the filling deadline for Pennsylvania is this coming Tuesday. Really hard to see any court overturning the new maps considering there are only like 5 days left and the massive amounts of confusion it would make to go back.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Should note that the filling deadline for Pennsylvania is this coming Tuesday. Really hard to see any court overturning the new maps considering there are only like 5 days left and the massive amounts of confusion it would make to go back.

I assume the State government has also finished updating its precinct files to reflect the new map?

[Oryxslayer]

Should note that the filling deadline for Pennsylvania is this coming Tuesday. Really hard to see any court overturning the new maps considering there are only like 5 days left and the massive amounts of confusion it would make to go back.

Tuesday is probably the day when inertia kicks in and there is 0 chance of not using the court map in November.

[Duke of York]

Should note that the filling deadline for Pennsylvania is this coming Tuesday. Really hard to see any court overturning the new maps considering there are only like 5 days left and the massive amounts of confusion it would make to go back.

Tuesday is probably the day when inertia kicks in and there is 0 chance of not using the court map in November.

To overturn the maps now would disrupt the election process considering precincts and polling locations have been shifted and databases updated. I can't imagine the court would do something so blatantly partisan.