Voting rights bills and lawsuits megathread (Updated: April 27th 2020)

[KingSweden]

Hmm well I guess Michigan is actually on track to get a redistricting reform initiative on the ballot in 2018:

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/voters_not_politicians_update.html

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Nice!

[Virginiá]

Florida will almost certainly have a chance to end Florida's permanent felony disenfranchisement scheme:

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/248533-voting-amendment-signatures

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Although because of FL's 60% threshold, there is no guarantee this will pass. America has always had a torrid love affair with punishing people just for the sake of punishing them, so we'll have to see how this goes. It might come down to whether or not a strong opposition campaign is mounted by Republicans who do not like the idea of restoring voting rights to anyone who might vote against them. This is important because roughly 10% of Florida's adult population is disenfranchised, including almost 1/4th of adult African Americans.

[Virginiá]

Nice!

Ohio might be getting Congressional redistricting reform as well, and Pennsylvania has a lawsuit in state courts challenging the constitutionality of partisan gerrymander under what will be either a 5 - 2 or 6 - 1 Democratic majority. On top of that, Gov Wolf might still be there in 2021 to veto rigged maps.

The best case scenario of Democrats breaking the back of the GOP's northern gerrymanders is actually not that much of a fantasy anymore.

[Gass3268]

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Good New! Pennsylvania will in all likelihood have to be redrawn before the 2018 elections!

[heatcharger]

Has anyone created a 9-9 map of Pennsylvania with DRA?

[Antonio the Sixth]

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Good New! Pennsylvania will in all likelihood have to be redrawn before the 2018 elections!

OMG, that is big.

[Virginiá]

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan/articles/2017-11-20/anti-gerrymandering-group-defies-odds-with-2018-ballot-drive

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Looks like this is all but guaranteed to go before voters in 2018, barring some sort of shenanigans or clever legal challenge.

Also lol @ Republicans and their new committee to oppose this:

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So shameless.

[junior chįmp]

Big news out of NYC lately is that the IDC is finished....hopefully NY will this expand voting laws

[KingSweden]

Big news out of NYC lately is that the IDC is finished....hopefully NY will this expand voting laws

Care to expound on this, possibly with sources?

[junior chįmp]

Big news out of NYC lately is that the IDC is finished....hopefully NY will this expand voting laws

Care to expound on this, possibly with sources?

Certainly....last election I was working the polls. Saw many people  with an interest in junking the IDC. Will make a post later!

[junior chįmp]

IDC being pressured by Senate Dem leader to join the Dem party. So that's Cuomo, leaders of both houses, and the DNC machine itself:

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[Virginiá]

I don't understand, is that even newsworthy? Has the IDC actually shown any willingness to stop with its shenanigans?

Also this isn't particularly germane to this thread. You could start a thread for this in the Gubernatorial/Statewide elections board if you want.

[junior chįmp]

I don't understand, is that even newsworthy? Has the IDC actually shown any willingness to stop with its shenanigans?

Also this isn't particularly germane to this thread. You could start a thread for this in the Gubernatorial/Statewide elections board if you want.

Starting in 2020, newly drawn state Senate maps will be created by a semi-independent commission with public hearings. The IDC is basically being told to join the Democrats if you want to survive since the NY Constitution has ban amended to ban partisan gerrymandering.

Basically, the State Senate is predicted to flip heavily blue in 2018 now. One less state with gerrymandering

Actually your right: This should be in the state legislature thread. Forgot it existed

[Virginiá]

Well that is excellent! You know, if Democrats could just get all the actual Democrats to vote on it, they could pass major election reform - things like same day registration, early voting, etc. It's ridiculous that a state as Democratic as New York has some of the least permissive voter access laws in the country.

Hopefully Democrats can get the IDC to come to their side, but more importantly, hopefully that would be a first step in dismantling it entirely. Long-term, it's not good for Democrats to have those parasites constantly trying to leverage more and more perks, such as sizable stipends, or else threatening to go to Republicans. That is a huge disservice to the voters who thought they were voting for an actual Democrat.

[Torie]

I believe under the NY Constitution, new maps require a majority vote from both parties, so the Pub minority in the State Senate would have a veto power. So either one gets a non partisan map (voted by the legislature or imposed by the Court if there is a deadlock), or a bipartisan gerrymander such as exists now in the state legislature (with the Assembly seats being a Dem gerrymander, and the Senate seats a Pub gerrymander).

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I believe under the NY Constitution, new maps require a majority vote from both parties, so the Pub minority in the State Senate would have a veto power. So either one gets a non partisan map (voted by the legislature or imposed by the Court if there is a deadlock), or a bipartisan gerrymander such as exists now in the state legislature (with the Assembly seats being a Dem gerrymander, and the Senate seats a Pub gerrymander).

What about congressional maps?

[Torie]

I believe under the NY Constitution, new maps require a majority vote from both parties, so the Pub minority in the State Senate would have a veto power. So either one gets a non partisan map (voted by the legislature or imposed by the Court if there is a deadlock), or a bipartisan gerrymander such as exists now in the state legislature (with the Assembly seats being a Dem gerrymander, and the Senate seats a Pub gerrymander).

What about congressional maps?

I believe that the rules are the same. You can read up on it all here, and make up your own mind.

[Torie]

SCOTUS added the Maryland CD map to its pile, apparently to rule on it along with the Wisconsin map.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, is MD-03 or PA-07 the ugliest CD district of them all? Your choose.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

SCOTUS added the Maryland CD map to its pile, apparently to rule on it along with the Wisconsin map.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, is MD-03 or PA-07 the ugliest CD district of them all? Your choose.

That’s not the MD map

[Torie]

It is now. Thanks!

PS:  MD-03 is just as ugly as the earlier map.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

It is now. Thanks!

PS:  MD-03 is just as ugly as the earlier map.

I think it’s uglier under the new one, tbh.

[Sestak]

PA-07 is pretty bad, but MD-03 is absolutely horrendous.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

PA-07 is pretty bad, but MD-03 is absolutely horrendous.

I think MD-3 is uglier, but PA-7 is a more gerrymandered district.  I’d argue Ohio has a worse gerrymander than MD or PA though (PA is still pretty bad o/c).  MD’s map is ugly, but the idea that it is among the worst partisan gerrymanders is pretty ridiculous.  PA, NC, TX, OH, MI, and arguably even WI are all far worse.  MD is about on par with the gerrymander in IN imo.  The Democrats didn’t even draw an 8-0 map (which they certainly could’ve done).

[junior chįmp]

White House wants to argue that AVR us unconstitutional:

[Virginiá]

That would be an interesting court decision. Wouldn't that make government lists of all sorts illegal? There is nothing requiring states to even have voter registration, and just being registered doesn't force them to vote.

This is a pretty weak argument against pro-voter reforms