Category: Citizen Ballot Initiatives

Ohio Election Oversight Becomes More Partisan on Jan. 1; Utah Judge Allows Legislature to Appeal Replacement Fair Congressional Map

Ohio Election Oversight Becomes More Partisan on Jan. 1; Utah Judge Allows Legislature to Appeal Replacement Fair Congressional Map

We have state updates today, both with significant implications for voters. Ohio replaced its independent election commission with an “election integrity” commission under the control of the Secretary of State. A Utah judge will allow the legislature to appeal the state’s court-mandated congressional district map, which replaced the legislature’s unconstitutional map last year.

Missouri Legislature Passes New Gerrymandered Congressional Map with One More GOP Seat and Moves to Quash Future Citizen Ballot Initiatives

The Missouri Senate approved a new mid-decade Congressional map Sept.12th, manipulated to gain one more GOP seat and preserve a majority in the U.S. House. To make sure voters don’t override such partisan bills, it also passed a constitutional amendment proposal to make citizen ballot initiatives harder to win.

Why was California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission Successful, While New York’s Commission Resulted in Gerrymandering & Court Cases?

While New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission struggled, the successful California Citizen Redistricting Commission maps were passed unanimously in 2021 with no litigation.  New York’s commission deadlocked, and was overruled by a Democratic-dominated legislature which drew its own gerrymandered maps. Those were later thrown out by the court, and the Congressional map is STILL being contested.