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In November of 2018, voters passed ballot initiatives in three states to curb gerrymandering by reforming the redistricting process. Four years later, as redistricting battles once again sweep the nation, it’s time to look back at what those initiatives accomplished, and what still needs to be done.
Senate Bill 90 passed in the Florida Senate and was signed by Governor DeSantis last May. Its provisions amend the state election laws to, according to the Florida Senate’s website, “improve election security, transparency, and administration.” Here’s what you should know about the bill before the state elections this fall.
The League of Women Voters of Chattanooga announces they have registered nearly 1,200 new voters across Hamilton County high schools in recent months. The total comes as the deadline to register to vote is today for the May 3 primary election.
One Houston woman has made it her life's mission to fight for voting rights and she is currently the president of the local chapter of The League of Women Voters. “Voting rights is a passionate thing because I think every citizens’ voice should be heard," said Annie Johnson-Benifield.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, a US federal court struck down key provisions of Florida’s Senate Bill 90 that equated to voter suppression. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker ruled that Florida’s Senate Bill 90 violates federal law, unconstitutionally impeding the right to vote for Floridians. He noted that “the right to vote, and the VRA particularly, are under siege.”
The 2021 redistricting cycle was the first one without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act. Without federal oversight, many states and local municipalities have used this advantage to implement racially gerrymandered maps, i.e. district lines that limit the voting power of voters of color.
Government watchdog groups are making a push to include ethics reform in the state budget. Governor Kathy Hochul promised to overhaul the state’s troubled ethics oversight commission, but so far, the proposal has not been agreed to by the Legislature.
For the fourth time, the Ohio Redistricting Commission stared down a deadline Monday to approve Statehouse district maps that meet court scrutiny. But Monday evening they were still working toward the court-ordered midnight deadline, after another late surprise.
The League is fortunate enough to have been a part of women's political power for over 100 years, from the days of the suffragists to the first female Vice President. Our female staff reflects on what womanhood means to them, and how it has shaped both their lives and our democracy.
March 26th marks the anniversary of the landmark Rucho v. League of Women Voters of North Carolina (also known as Rucho v. Common Cause) Supreme Court oral arguments. The Supreme Court's ultimate decision, that federal courts cannot make determinations on partisan gerrymandering, would have major consequences for representation across our democracy.
We spoke with Allison Riggs, who was chosen to represent the plaintiffs and argued the case before the Supreme Court. Now, Riggs, who is now co-executive director and chief counsel for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, gives us her first-hand account of what happened in the courts.