On December 8, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Benisek v Lamone, 17-333. This case had been considered for the first time at the December 1 conference, but no action was taken until today. The case challenges the boundaries of Maryland’s Sixth U.S. House district as a Democratic partisan gerrymander. The incumbent Democrat is John Delaney, elected in 2012 when this district first came into existence. The district goes from the Washington, D.C. suburbs, westerly all the way to the West Virginia state line.
John Delaney is the author of the bill to require all states to use top-two systems in congressional elections, HR 2981. In 2014, the vote in the Sixth District was: Delaney, Democrat, 94,704; Dan Bongino, Republican, 91,930; George Gluck, Green Party, 3,762.
Here is the brief of the voters who brought the lawsuit. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.
ALL gerrymanders since 1776 States – 1788 USA — CARRIED OVER FROM BRIT HOUSE OF COMMONS GERRYMANDERS IN 1200s-1600s.
Modern hacks use precinct stats and computer map programs to rig the districts.
1/2 or less votes x 1/2 rigged districts = 1/4 or less control = OLIGARCHY.
MUCH WORSE PRIMARY MATH.
PR and AppV.
Congress should try a carrot approach.
Permit an Open Primary held on the first Tuesday after the first Wednesday in September (8 weeks before the general election).
(1) May elect by majority.
(2) May hold non-federal elections on the same ballot and polling locations, so long as they are open to all voters eligible to vote for the office without regard to party affiliation.
(3) May not eliminate candidates prior to this day.
(4) Filing deadline of August 1.
(5) Overseas voters vote at federal voting centers at military bases, embassies and consulates, and other locations.
(6) No other federal elections may be held within 14 days.
to get rectangle-ish districts (with PR) —
draw polygon around total area
divide longest axis —
even 1/2
odd 2/3-1/3, 3/5-2/5, etc.
Repeat, to end.
Divide lines along existing political subdivisions as much as possible – divide urban first, rural last.
North-South, West-East lines, as much as possible.
Core polygon in extreme cases (MD partial) — having larger peninsulas.
See esp VA with larger rivers / larger peninsulas.
This professor and group have been advocating for polygon/geometric proportioning for years: https://sites.tufts.edu/gerrymandr/
PR in the polygon districts.