Redistricting | PoliticsNC

Random thoughts on redistricting

by Thomas Mills | Oct 27, 2021 | Editor's Blog, Redistricting | 8 comments

As we get closer and closer to new district maps, I have a few thoughts on redistricting, some of which I expressed last week. In particular, there’s no way to take politics out of the process, but there are better ways than others to do it. In North Carolina, we’ve...

Falling short on redistricting

by Martha Shafer | Oct 12, 2019 | Redistricting

This was the news I’d been waiting for all summer. The partisan gerrymandering case heard in state court was decided! I’m a nerd, more excited about a court decision than the new Spider-Man movie, but for 9 years I’ve worried about my home state because of the...

Perspective on gerrymandering

by Thomas Mills | Sep 17, 2019 | Editor's Blog, Redistricting

Last night, the Senate approved new maps. Now, we have legislative districts that have been drawn by legislators and have bipartisan support. It’s been a long time coming, but don’t believe it’s the beginning of a trend. North Carolina still needs a better system for...

Fairer districts will mean the national political environment has more impact

by Thomas Mills | Sep 4, 2019 | Editor's Blog, North Carolina, Redistricting

A three-judge panel of state judges ordered the legislature to redraw the state’s legislative districts from scratch because they violate the state’s constitution in multiple ways. It’s another explicit and comprehensive rebuke of the practice of rigging districts for...

Ending gerrymandering will make NC more competitive, not more liberal

by Thomas Mills | Jul 15, 2019 | Editor's Blog, Redistricting

Gerrymandering is back in court today. In North Carolina, that’s been a constant for the past thirty years, regardless of who is in charge. This time, we’re in state court. The Supreme Court decided gerrymandering is not a topic for the federal courts. The fireworks...

On gerrymandering, what next?

by Thomas Mills | Jun 28, 2019 | Editor's Blog, Redistricting | 1 comment

Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered a devastating blow to redistricting reform. In a 5-4 decision, the Court declared that the federal courts are not the place to remedy the problems caused by gerrymandering. The conservative Justices declared that it’s a political...