Home→Uncategorized→US District Court Judge Orders a New Two Member North Dakota State House District for Due to Vote Dilution for Native American Tribes
US District Court Judge Orders a New Two Member North Dakota State House District for Due to Vote Dilution for Native American Tribes
North Dakota uses *legislative* districts, that elect one senator and two representatives. Voters can vote for two candidates for representative, with the top two being elected (i.e. like in Arizona, rather than Washington, where the representatives are elected by position). All three legislators from a district are elected for four-year terms at the same election, with half the districts electing at each election.
In a couple of instances, sub-districts have been created within a legislative district. Each sub-district would elect one of the two representatives. This was done so American Indians could elect a representative in areas where there were insufficient numbers to elect a senator and two representatives.
So having two representatives from a single legislative district is not some novelty as the headline suggests, but rather the norm.
If you look at the map in the second linked article, the district in question is the pink district coming down from Canada that resembles Italy with the boot pointing the opposite direction. At the top is Rolette County, essentially square, where the Turtle Mountain Reservation is located. In 2010, this formed a legislative district that elected two Democrat representatives and one Democratic Senator.
Because of explosive population growth in the Williston Basin, growth in cities such as Fargo and Bismarck, and continued depopulation of rural areas, in 2020 this district had only about 3/4 of the population needed for a district. The legislature expanded it to the east where there are Turtle Mountain owned lands, but fewer Indians. This elected a Republican senator. The district was divided into two sub-districts so that Turtle Mountain could continue to elect a Democratic representative.
The map imposed by the federal court links the Turtle Mountain reservation with the Spirit Lake reservation in Benson County, in the boot of the district. The connecting area is sparsely populated. Using the Italy analogy, it would be like connecting Milan to Naples with Rome having disappeared.
By 2030, the district is likely to be underpopulated, and any added territory might flip it back to a Republican district. In 2031 there could be a demand to recreate the Rolette sub-district.
They should split each Senate district into two House districts, so that each voter only elects one representative. But it should be up to them, and none of the federal monstrosity’s business.
“Voters can vote for two candidates for representative, with the top two being elected”
Jim that’s called Bloc Voting. Different story if each voter votes for only one but two win. Different story if there are sub-districts.
Why do native american candidates from reservations run under one of the two major parties instead of as independents?
@P. Farmer,
The North Dakota Constitution is permissive whether two representatives are elected at large, or from sub-districts. Legislative districts in North Dakota are relatively small (average population 16,576), so dividing into sub-districts would result in tiny districts. OMOV decisions permit only small variation between districts, and communities of interest do not come in quantized sizes. You could end up with one sub-district consisting of most of a town, and the other the remnant of the town and a large swath of rural territory.
The federal court is trying to conform its decision to the North Dakota Constitution (i.e, be as least monstrous as possible).
The better question is why have a bicameral legislature when all legislatures represent the same electorates. If weighted voting were used, you would not have to create artificial districts.
@A.C.,
If Indian candidates ran as independents they risk vote splitting. LD-9 (the one in question was not overwhelmingly Republican (53R-46D for the Senate race). If an independent candidate had run, they would likely have divided the D vote.
North Dakota permits the political parties by convention or otherwise designate primary candidates. Additional candidates may qualify by petition.
A tactic that is sometimes used by the minority political party is to run only one candidate. Some voters will only vote for one candidate, or will split their vote in an effort to be bi-partisan. Let’s say that a district is modestly Republican (say 55R-45D). If the voters know anything about the two Republican candidates (or at least think they do), they will likely prefer one or the other. Republican-inclined voters might vote for the more liked R, and vote for the one D, or only vote for that one R. Meanwhile Democratic-inclined voters will vote for the only D on the ballot.
I don’t see 8k as a tiny district. I think it would be fine. I stand by my recommendations.
@P.F.,
The legislature had the choice, and they chose to have two representatives. They are apparently fine with it. I don’t know whether you actually made your recommendation to the North Dakota legislature.
Washington also elects two representative per legislative district. One legislator proposed splitting into sub-districts. That has been done in the past when a senate district covered two distinct communities (e.g. one on the coast, and one inland). Another representative noted that her fellow representative lived behind her house, and that his balcony looked down into her back yard (it sounded a bit creepy). If they divided the senate district, they would have two incumbents running against each other.
I have not made my recommendations anywhere else. My interest in the matter is not limitless.
More racial gerrymander junk and federal interference in state matters.
What about voters of German and Scandinavian origin? Lots of those in North Dakota.
PR IN ALL LEGIS BODY ELECTIONS
One voter, one representative. No passing the buck.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2024/01/08/michigan-redistricting-commission-given-feb-2-deadline/72152712007/
SE MICH RIGGED LEGIS DISTS – BY COMMIE DEMS ON G COMM
DETROIT BLACKS WANT MORE BLACK HACKS — DEMS MAY LOSE CONTROL IN LEGIS
ALL SORTS OF COMMIE D LAWS ENACTED IN 2023.
2022 —
20 D – 18 R — ST SEN. – 4 YR TERM
56 D – 54 R — ST H REPS – 2 YR TERM
Fascist demon rats won’t stop until the US is like Haiti or Liberia.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/politics/2024-tipping-point-races-analysis/index.html
2024 GERRYMANDER CONGRESS – MARGINAL AREAS
—
PR
APPV
TOTSOP
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/01/09/satellite-images-show-rate-east-coast-sinking/72152778007/
DIVINE INTERVENTION TO REDUCE COMMIES ON EAST COAST ???
FORCE 10 EARTHQUAKE TO REDUCE COMMIES ON WEST COAST ???
https://www.yahoo.com/news/2024-us-presidential-primaries-explained-130026026.html
2024 PREZ PRIMARIES INFO —
HOW MANY MAX RIGGED ???
—
NOOO PRIMARIES —
GENL ELECTION BALLOT ACCESS ONLY VIA EQUAL NOM PETS / FILING FEES
https://apnews.com/article/william-penn-statue-native-american-philadelphia-3ce31afc1db53ec55f7afbe50348cd86
PENN STATUE FLAP–
COMMIES AT WORK
North Dakota uses *legislative* districts, that elect one senator and two representatives. Voters can vote for two candidates for representative, with the top two being elected (i.e. like in Arizona, rather than Washington, where the representatives are elected by position). All three legislators from a district are elected for four-year terms at the same election, with half the districts electing at each election.
In a couple of instances, sub-districts have been created within a legislative district. Each sub-district would elect one of the two representatives. This was done so American Indians could elect a representative in areas where there were insufficient numbers to elect a senator and two representatives.
So having two representatives from a single legislative district is not some novelty as the headline suggests, but rather the norm.
If you look at the map in the second linked article, the district in question is the pink district coming down from Canada that resembles Italy with the boot pointing the opposite direction. At the top is Rolette County, essentially square, where the Turtle Mountain Reservation is located. In 2010, this formed a legislative district that elected two Democrat representatives and one Democratic Senator.
Because of explosive population growth in the Williston Basin, growth in cities such as Fargo and Bismarck, and continued depopulation of rural areas, in 2020 this district had only about 3/4 of the population needed for a district. The legislature expanded it to the east where there are Turtle Mountain owned lands, but fewer Indians. This elected a Republican senator. The district was divided into two sub-districts so that Turtle Mountain could continue to elect a Democratic representative.
The map imposed by the federal court links the Turtle Mountain reservation with the Spirit Lake reservation in Benson County, in the boot of the district. The connecting area is sparsely populated. Using the Italy analogy, it would be like connecting Milan to Naples with Rome having disappeared.
By 2030, the district is likely to be underpopulated, and any added territory might flip it back to a Republican district. In 2031 there could be a demand to recreate the Rolette sub-district.
They should split each Senate district into two House districts, so that each voter only elects one representative. But it should be up to them, and none of the federal monstrosity’s business.
“Voters can vote for two candidates for representative, with the top two being elected”
Jim that’s called Bloc Voting. Different story if each voter votes for only one but two win. Different story if there are sub-districts.
Why do native american candidates from reservations run under one of the two major parties instead of as independents?
@P. Farmer,
The North Dakota Constitution is permissive whether two representatives are elected at large, or from sub-districts. Legislative districts in North Dakota are relatively small (average population 16,576), so dividing into sub-districts would result in tiny districts. OMOV decisions permit only small variation between districts, and communities of interest do not come in quantized sizes. You could end up with one sub-district consisting of most of a town, and the other the remnant of the town and a large swath of rural territory.
The federal court is trying to conform its decision to the North Dakota Constitution (i.e, be as least monstrous as possible).
The better question is why have a bicameral legislature when all legislatures represent the same electorates. If weighted voting were used, you would not have to create artificial districts.
@A.C.,
If Indian candidates ran as independents they risk vote splitting. LD-9 (the one in question was not overwhelmingly Republican (53R-46D for the Senate race). If an independent candidate had run, they would likely have divided the D vote.
North Dakota permits the political parties by convention or otherwise designate primary candidates. Additional candidates may qualify by petition.
A tactic that is sometimes used by the minority political party is to run only one candidate. Some voters will only vote for one candidate, or will split their vote in an effort to be bi-partisan. Let’s say that a district is modestly Republican (say 55R-45D). If the voters know anything about the two Republican candidates (or at least think they do), they will likely prefer one or the other. Republican-inclined voters might vote for the more liked R, and vote for the one D, or only vote for that one R. Meanwhile Democratic-inclined voters will vote for the only D on the ballot.
I don’t see 8k as a tiny district. I think it would be fine. I stand by my recommendations.
@P.F.,
The legislature had the choice, and they chose to have two representatives. They are apparently fine with it. I don’t know whether you actually made your recommendation to the North Dakota legislature.
Washington also elects two representative per legislative district. One legislator proposed splitting into sub-districts. That has been done in the past when a senate district covered two distinct communities (e.g. one on the coast, and one inland). Another representative noted that her fellow representative lived behind her house, and that his balcony looked down into her back yard (it sounded a bit creepy). If they divided the senate district, they would have two incumbents running against each other.
I have not made my recommendations anywhere else. My interest in the matter is not limitless.