Wisconsin

Scuba

(53,475 posts) Thu Jul 9, 2015, 08:51 AM Jul 2015

Wisconsin: Democrats sue state election officials over 2011 redistricting

http://www.jsonline.com/news/democrats-sue-state-election-officials-over-2011-redistricting-b99533804z1-312495891.html

A dozen Democrats sued election officials Wednesday over legislative maps Republicans drew in 2011 that helped give them a firm grip on state government.

The lawsuit comes two years after a panel of three federal judges in separate litigation redrew two Assembly districts and blasted GOP lawmakers for drawing the maps in secret. That panel found the two districts on Milwaukee's south side violated the voting rights of Latinos, but it upheld all the other legislative maps, allowing Republicans to keep their advantage in elections. The new lawsuit seeks to change that by arguing the maps are so partisan as to be unconstitutional.

"This case we hope will be the election law equivalent of Brown v. Board of Education," said Milwaukee attorney Peter Earle, referring to the landmark school desegregation case. "We will establish a national standard that can be used reliably into the future."

...

Democratic voters from around the state brought the case in federal court in Madison against members of the state Government Accountability Board, which runs elections but was not involved in drawing the maps. It has the backing of a group called the Wisconsin Fair Elections Project that was formed to promote nonpartisan redistricting.

7 replies

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Wisconsin: Democrats sue state election officials over 2011 redistricting (Original Post) Scuba Jul 2015 OP

5 minutes. Ask a mathematician and he will give you nonpartisan redistricting within 5 minutes. DetlefK Jul 2015 #1

I don't like that yeoman6987 Jul 2015 #2

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. DetlefK Jul 2015 #3

Fair enough yeoman6987 Jul 2015 #5

It's About Time The Dems Use The Same Tactics That The Repugs Use...... global1 Jul 2015 #4

We are suing in Texas over our gerrymandered districts Gothmog Jul 2015 #6

I have a stats background. Jimbo S Jul 2015 #7

DetlefK

(16,423 posts)

1. 5 minutes. Ask a mathematician and he will give you nonpartisan redistricting within 5 minutes.

Reply to Scuba (Original post)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 09:08 AM

Jul 2015

For example:
All districts must be in shape as close as possible to an equilateral hexagon. The shape may not deviate radially by more than X%.

For example:
All districts must be shaped in a way that the ratio between circumcircle and in-circle does not exceed X. (Ratio would be 1.44 in the case of a square-shaped district.)

yeoman6987

(14,449 posts)

2. I don't like that

Reply to DetlefK (Reply #1)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 09:38 AM

Jul 2015

Maryland has odd redistricting. It would hurt blue states too.

DetlefK

(16,423 posts)

3. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

Reply to yeoman6987 (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 09:39 AM

Jul 2015

As I said, non-partisan.

yeoman6987

(14,449 posts)

5. Fair enough

Reply to DetlefK (Reply #3)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 10:19 AM

Jul 2015

global1

(25,252 posts)

4. It's About Time The Dems Use The Same Tactics That The Repugs Use......

Reply to Scuba (Original post)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 09:49 AM

Jul 2015

and suing state election officials over gerrymandering with the ability to push it all the way to SCOTUS is a good tactic.

Yes - Dems gerrymander as well - but - if this could make it to SCOTUS and a fair and equitable way of determining Congressional Districts across the country were an outcome - at least it evens the playing field and gives the American People the ability to have the proper representation in Congress no matter where the chips may fall.

The Repugs sue for every little thing. Think about the recent SCOTUS/ACA decision where it was down to the interpretation of a few words. Fortunately SCOTUS ruled in ACA's favor - but it could have went the other way.

Again - it's about time that the Dems resort to the same tactics as the Repugs do. The best defense is a good offense and I'm all for this lawsuit to proceed.

I'll take my chances across the country in a fair and equitable system of determining Congressional Districts and therefore representation of the parties in Congress. Think about it - the Repugs have been losing ground across the country and they resorted to this out of kilter gerrymandering to save their Party.

Turn around is fair play.

Gothmog

(145,293 posts)

6. We are suing in Texas over our gerrymandered districts

Reply to Scuba (Original post)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 11:45 AM

Jul 2015

Jimbo S

(2,958 posts)

7. I have a stats background.

Reply to Scuba (Original post)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 04:50 PM

Jul 2015

I submitted a guest blog to Blogging Blue on this subject.
http://bloggingblue.com/2015/03/guest-blog-the-issue-of-gerrymandering-legislative-districts-in-wisconsin/

Summary:
- Wisconsin Assembly districts are currently gerrymandered beyond a reasonable doubt (the game is rigged).
- Both sides do it when given the chance.

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