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RandySF's Journal5th Circuit To Reconsider Redistricting Precedent Under Voting Rights Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The entire 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will reconsider its established Voting Rights Act (VRA) precedent that permits distinct minority communities — such as Black and Latino voters — to be combined for the purposes of Section 2 vote dilution claims.
This move comes as 5th Circuit issued an order earlier today agreeing to rehear a consolidated redistricting case challenging Galveston County, Texas’ commissioners court districts under Section 2 of the VRA, which prohibits racially discriminatory redistricting plans. In agreeing to rehear the case, the notoriously conservative court concurrently voided a decision issued on Nov. 10 by a three-judge 5th Circuit panel affirming that Galveston County’s districts illegally diluted Black and Latino voting power.
In an October 2023 ruling, a Trump-appointed district court judge found that Black and Latino voters in Galveston County — who account for nearly 40% of the population — were illegally deprived of the ability to elect their preferred candidate in any one of Galveston County’s four districts due to the elimination of the county’s sole majority-minority district.
In the case of Galveston County, neither the county’s Black nor Latino populations are large enough to individually constitute a majority in a particular district; however, the two communities together form a politically cohesive coalition of minority voters that is protected under Section 2.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/5th-circuit-to-reconsider-redistricting-precedent-under-voting-rights-act/
Tennessee Senate redistricting map thrown out by court, but dissenting opinion opens the door for an appeal
he state Senate’s redistricting map has been thrown out by the Tennessee Chancery Court in a 2-1 decision. However, the single dissent gives Republican Senators a shot at setting a precedent for future map challenges.
The dissenting opinion from Judge Steven Maroney (found on page 37) argues that Francine Hunt, the plaintiff in the case against state officials, does not have the ability to bring the case forward.
Although Hunt is a Davidson County resident that resides in District 17, Maroney states that she does not have standing because she has not demonstrated that she is directly impacted by the maps.
His opinion has left many scratching their heads, wondering why a Tennessee resident wouldn’t have standing and asking who would have standing.
https://wpln.org/post/tennessee-senate-redistricting-map-thrown-out-by-court-but-dissenting-opinion-opens-the-door-for-an-appeal/
5 redistricting cases that will impact the 2024 elections
New York
Democrats are seeking to have a bipartisan commission redraw the state’s congressional maps after attempts to draw more favorable lines for the party were botched last cycle, costing them critical seats in the House.
Wisconsin
The state Supreme Court heard arguments last week in a case over the fate of Wisconsin’s state legislative maps. A group of Democratic voters filed a lawsuit in early August challenging the maps as “unconstitutional.”
North Carolina
Republicans in the Tar Heel State scored their first win last November when they flipped the Democratic majority on the state Supreme Court.
Alabama
The Supreme Court surprised many in June, given its conservative makeup, when it ruled that Alabama’s congressional map likely violated the Voting Rights Act.
Louisiana
The issue of fair representation of the state’s Black voting bloc has also been a focal point in Louisiana. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) vetoed the GOP-controlled state Legislature’s congressional maps in March 2022, arguing in a statement at the time that it “does not meet the standards set forth in the federal Voting Rights Act.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4329285-five-redistricting-cases-that-will-impact-the-2024-elections/
MI: Warren couple file to run against each other in special election for open House seat
It's not often that a Democratic and Republican candidate in Michigan openly say they're "rooting for each other" to win the same election. But a married couple in Warren say they decided to both run in a special election next spring for an open seat in the Michigan House because they believe either one of them would be a strong representative for the community.
Monday afternoon marked the deadline for candidates to declare in both the 13th and 25th House Districts, which are now vacant after former state Reps. Lori Stone, D-Warren, and Kevin Coleman, D-Westland, won mayoral elections in their respective cities. In the 13th, Suzanne Ostosh, a Democrat, and Curtiss Ostosh, a Republican, have both filed to run.
"We're not running against each other. We're running for each other," Curtiss Ostosh told the Free Press Monday. "We're running for the city because we want to put people first, so no matter which one of us wins, we'll be happy with that."
The Ostoshes, who have been married for nearly two years, run the food pantry at the Harvest Time Christian Fellowship Church in Warren, where Curtiss is the pastor. Suzanne Ostosh mentioned community investment, particularly for young children in Warren, as a major priority in her campaign.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/11/28/warren-couple-in-opposite-parties-both-file-to-run-for-open-house-seat/71722572007/
Russia's Parliament to Announce Presidential Race on Dec. 13 - Communist Leader
Russia’s parliament will officially announce the start of the 2024 presidential race on Dec. 13, the head of Russia’s Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov told reporters during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Next year’s presidential election is scheduled to take place in March, with President Vladimir Putin widely expected to run for a fifth term in office.
“According to the information I have, the [upper-house] Federation Council will officially announce the start of the presidential election campaign on Dec. 13.,” Zuganov told reporters.
The ruling United Russia party will announce its presidential nominee four days later, according to Zuganov.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/11/28/russias-parliament-to-announce-presidential-race-on-dec-13-communist-leader-a83234
Texas Democrats Endorse Local Houston Candidates Ahead of December 9th Runoff Election
Project LIFT is a longtime program of the Texas Democratic Party that invests in candidates running in local, down-ballot races across the state. Following Texas Democrats’ Project LIFT endorsement of Chris Hollins for Houston City Controller – today, we’re proud to endorse the following candidates ahead of the December 9th runoff elections in Houston next week:
Melanie Miles, Houston City Council At-Large Position 1
Nick Hellyar, Houston City Council At-Large Position 2
Richard Cantu, Houston City Council At-Large Position 3
Dr. Letitia Plummer, Houston City Council Position 4
Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa issued the following statement on the Project LIFT endorsement of local Houston candidates:
“Through Project LIFT, the Texas Democratic Party has built upon our movement from the local office up. There’s no doubt that these exceptional Houston Democrats will represent their community and meet the needs of working families in local neighborhoods. Under Texas Democratic leadership, Houston has become a hotbed for innovation ranging from energy and technology to community-first policies – making Houston one of the largest and most diverse cities in the United States. H-Town is not slowing down, and we’re proud to endorse local candidates who will continue Houston’s progressive legacy so that the city and the rest of Texas can thrive. Election Day is Saturday, December 9th – and we encourage voters to make their voices heard. Houstonians can find where to vote at MyTexasVotes.com.”
https://elpasoheraldpost.com/texas-democrats-endorse-local-houston-candidates-ahead-of-december-9th-runoff-election/
Fargo's special election will be first run by the city in over two decades
FARGO (KFGO) – Fargo voters will be at the polls next Tuesday to decide whether to approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase and a 3% lodging tax for a proposed $140 million Fargodome expansion that would include a convention center.
Elections are typically run by the county, but the City of Fargo is running this one because the North Dakota Secretary of State told the county they cannot do special elections after Oct. 1. It will be the first time the city has run an election in 23 years.
The last time the City of Fargo ran an election was in 2000. City auditor Steve Sprague said, at that time, Fargo held a city election in April, a run-off election in May, a primary election in June, and a general election in November.
“That November, on the general election ballot, we had a question of, ‘should we amend the Home Rule Charter to eliminate the run-off provision, and to combine our elections with [Cass] County?’” Sprague said. “That passed overwhelmingly, and we have combined with the county ever since.”
https://kfgo.com/2023/11/28/fargos-special-election-will-be-first-run-by-the-city-in-over-two-decades/
MT: Cascade County blows state deadline for election canvass
Officials in Cascade County have struggled to certify the results of the recent municipal elections in Great Falls and several outlying communities, missing a state-mandated deadline of Nov. 21 to complete the county’s post-election canvass.
The challenges began nearly two weeks ago as Cascade County Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant attempted to schedule a canvass meeting on Nov. 20, a Monday, with the county commission. In an interview with Montana Free Press, Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs said he was worried that the schedule, proposed by Merchant the Friday prior, violated Montana’s 48-hour notice requirement for public meetings — a concern, he added, that the county attorney’s office later substantiated.
Merchant and the commission rescheduled the canvass for Nov. 22, but after more than five hours the group still failed to certify the election results. They will now reconvene at 1:30 p.m., on Nov. 29 with the goal of concluding the work. Until that happens, Briggs said, “no one can take office.”
“That wouldn’t normally happen for another month and a half, so assuming we can get this handled this week, there really won’t be any operational issues,” Briggs continued. “The concern is it just adds another question mark to the election process, and we’ve been going through this now — well, every election this year, there’s been a lawsuit. Whether there will be one about this one or not, I don’t know. But it does not add to the credibility of the election process, and that’s bad.”
https://montanafreepress.org/2023/11/28/cascade-county-misses-election-canvass-deadline/
Pre-campaign poll confirms Morena's hold on Mexico's 2024 presidential election
MEXICO CITY (CN) — Upcoming federal and state elections in Mexico are shaping up to be the biggest in the country’s history. Citizens will vote for over 19,000 public service positions at the state and local levels — everything from Mexico City mayor to eight governors — but eyes will largely be on the country’s next head of state.
And according to a candidate recognition and public opinion poll published this week by consulting firm Buendía & Márquez, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, the candidate for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s ruling Morena party, continues to lead the pack by what could be an insurmountable margin.
Sheinbaum — López Obrador’s favored candidate— has a commanding lead over her two contenders with 48% of respondents saying they would vote for her on the day of the survey, were it held that day. Election day is June 2, 2024.
Her share of the public’s approval was twice that of former Senator Xóchitl Gálvez, who made a splash when she came onto the scene over the summer, ruffling López Obrador’s feathers. In August, she was named the candidate for the three-party opposition coalition that recently changed its name to Strength and Heart for Mexico. Gálvez polled at 24% in this latest survey.
https://www.courthousenews.com/pre-campaign-poll-confirms-morenas-hold-on-mexicos-2024-presidential-election/
Seattle's final council election results show low turnout, high turnover
Results were certified in King County elections Tuesday, codifying high turnover and low voter turnout in Seattle City Council races.
Final results for Seattle’s seven geographical districts predict a more moderate or centrist Democrat council and highlight low engagement in local elections.
With just over a third of registered voters casting ballots across King County — the lowest recorded turnout rate in modern history — relatively few voters actually signaled anything, apart from a distaste for local politics.
In Seattle, with four open seats and three contentious incumbent races, turnout was a little better, but still down substantially since the last comparable election. In each of the seven districts, between 40-52% of voters cast a ballot this year, averaging somewhere around 46%. Depending on the district, that was anywhere from a 7-10% decrease from 2019, when the same districts were last on the ballot with an average turnout around 54%.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattles-final-council-election-results-show-low-turnout-high-turnover/
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