On September 25, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ten-page opinion in Tennant v Jefferson County Commission, 11-1184, a congressional redistricting case from West Virginia. The Court ruled that population deviations between U.S. House districts of up to eight-tenths of 1% are constitutionally permissible, if the plan has certain practical advantages, such as not splitting counties and making the fewest changes to the old map.
The Court had already stayed the opinion of the 3-judge U.S. District Court that had invalidated the districts that had the .8% population deviation, so the decision is no surprise. The Court wrote the opinion without holding an oral argument in the matter. The Court hasn’t reconvened yet from its summer recess, but did issue this one opinion before convening. Also on September 25, the Court accepted six cert petitions, but none of them are election law cases or high-profile cases on such topics as same-sex marriage. Two of the cert petitions were filed by pro se litigants; see this story. “Pro se” means the individual who filed the case is not an attorney and is representing himself. Thanks to How Appealing for the link.
Census stats are instantly obsolete.
i.e. UNEQUAL number of actual voters in each gerrymander district.
The EVIL gerrymander ROT continues — since 1776.
——–
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
The EVIL incumbent robot party hacks will LOVE the protect-the-incumbents stuff in the JUNK opinion — one of many since the 1964 gerrymander cases.
—
1/2 votes x 1/2 gerrymander districts = 1/4 control.
MUCH worse primary math for *open* seats – even in top 2 primary States – when an incumbent party hack dies, quits, etc.
—-
How soon before the EVIL robot party hacks cause the bankruptcy of Western Civilization — due to THE deficit straw which breaks the back of the camel economy ??? Stay tuned.
Vote for Raymond V Davis III for WV House of Delegates district 5 on November 6th. http://davisforwvhouse.webs.com/
Raymond Davis? As in the guy who only got four (4) votes in the primary election? Good luck, dude.
Doremus Jessup The primary in West Virginia didn’t have many Mountain Party members in it so the 4 votes were from members registered in my district. It seems like a small amount but it is a big victory as anybody who is a third party candidate in West Virginia would tell you. We get no respect in this state and fight for every vote however the majority still think the two party system works and you have to vote D or R.