05/13/2022 Happy Friday! Welcome to our weekly newsletter! This week we cover the first ruling against Florida’s congressional map along with the latest in New York and Ohio. Plus, we highlight secretary of state candidates and ballot measures — two important but overlooked votes on your ballot this November.
And make sure to check out our new resource page for the 2022 midterms.
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Florida Judge Blocks DeSantis’ Congressional Map; State Likely to Appeal |
At the end of a hearing on Wednesday, a judge ruled that Florida’s new congressional map likely violates the state constitution, blocking the use of the challenged congressional districts while the lawsuit plays out. The map, which was enacted in April after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) vetoed initial plans passed by the Florida Legislature, dismantled the Black-performing 5th Congressional District and was quickly challenged for violating the Fair Districts Amendment of the Florida Constitution.
The judge found that the map likely violates the Fair Districts Amendment “because it diminishes African Americans’ ability to elect candidates of their choice” in northern Florida. Instead, he ordered that DeSantis’ map be replaced with a remedial map. The judge ruled from the bench (oral ruling) on Wednesday and released a written order yesterday. The state can appeal his decision and the order will be paused on appeal.
Louisiana’s congressional map similarly went to court this week, and we are awaiting a decision there on whether the map will be blocked for the 2022 elections.
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Chaotic Map Redraws in New York and Ohio |
In addition to Florida and Louisiana, Kansas, New York and Ohio also have maps in flux as we await redraws. This week, a federal judge approved New York's decision to move congressional primaries from June 28 to Aug. 23. This decision comes after the state's highest court struck down the map for gerrymandering and procedural issues and ordered new districts to be drawn.
Meanwhile, public comments took place in a courtroom in Bath, a small rural town that’s a five hour drive from the New York City metropolitan area. “A process that permits a single hearing in the village of Bath, which is closer to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Toronto than it is to New York City is fatally flawed,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
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The ever-changing maps in Ohio are the legislative ones for the state House and Senate districts. In mid-April, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected the legislative maps drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission for the fourth time. For its fifth try, the Commission resubmitted the third set of plans — which have already been struck down.
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Earlier on, a three-judge panel in federal court stated it will stay out of the redistricting process until May 28, but, if legal maps are not in place by this date, the panel will impose the third set of maps for the 2022 election cycle. Since the Commission resubmitted this third set, they may be used for this year’s elections, even though the state Supreme Court previously held they violate the Ohio Constitution.
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On Your Ballot in 2022: Secretaries of State and Ballot Measures |
There’s a lot more than just lawmakers on your ballot this November.
Across the country, “Big Lie” election deniers are not only running for office, but running specifically for the office that manages elections. This has brought new focus to the secretary of state role. In “Watch Out: Four “Big Lie” Candidates Running for Secretary of State,” we highlight the anti-democracy candidates running in four crucial (and close) races: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada.
Ballot measures are another integral part of policymaking in many states. They give citizens an opportunity to vote directly on proposed constitutional amendments and state laws. While there are still several months left for measures to qualify, read our latest roundup of what’s already on the ballot — it tells us a lot about the current state of American politics.
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We're keeping a close eye on Montana. Remember, last month a judge blocked four voter suppression laws (that eliminated Election Day registration, made it harder for students to vote and more). Republican state leaders have appealed this decision to try to reinstate these laws in time for the June primaries. The Montana Supreme Court has not yet ruled on their request.
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The South Carolina House and Senate reached an agreement on a bill that changes how the South Carolina Election Commission is selected. The bill was a compromise between Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including the priorities of both parties — it extends early voting in the state and increases penalties for voting fraud.
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How States Used the Pandemic To Restrict (Or Expand) Voting |
Whether a state chose to keep or roll back pandemic reforms depends almost entirely on which party is in power. Read more ➡️ |
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Have a question? Join Marc, Democracy Docket and guest Kelly Burton today on Twitter Spaces at 2 p.m. ET for a discussion and Q&A on the latest democracy news. (Twitter Spaces is like a podcast, but live. You can listen to it without having a Twitter account.) |
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Democracy Docket
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