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Voter advocates and Democrats, who have been the most disadvantaged by gerrymanders in recent years, say that they will continue the fight by other means. The National Committee of Democratic Redistribution, led by former President Barack Obama and his Attorney General, Eric H. Holder Jr., this year targeted state-level political offices for the purpose of eliminating the threat of violence. increase the democratic control of the governorates before the next round of redistribution in 2021. The group has also joined trials demanding racial gerrymanders from the House districts in Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana, and is mounting grassroots efforts to enact reforms. election.
The group and its affiliates have raised $ 29 million since its debut in January 2017. "It is losing a battle.It is not losing the war," said the Executive Director of the group, Kelly Ward. "There are many fronts in this war, and we intend to fight on each of them."
Yet, one of the efforts the most promising anti-gerrymander may also be among the most at risk.The voting initiatives aimed at reducing or eliminating political control over the redistricting will be presented to voters in at least four states in November and perhaps up to four. Six other states already have independent demarcation bodies, and citizens' support for new commissions seems to be strong in some states.
But judges are divided on whether such measures are constitutional. 1965, the Supreme Court rejected a claim of the Arizona-run Republicans 'legislature that the Constitution gave it the sole authority over redistricting, and that a voting initiative that transferred the task to a non-partisan citizens' commission was illegal. Judge Kennedy joined the four court liberals in decision 5-4. Chief Justice Roberts wrote dissent for the conservative wing of the court
"This case really allowed Judge Roberts to exercise," said Richard L. Hasen, law professor and expert in electoral law at the University of California at Irvine. "In a court where hard-line conservatives dominate, he and others have said that the constitutionality of citizens' redistricting commissions may well have a less favorable second look
. The next legal challenge for partisan gerrymanders will likely come next year from North Carolina, where a panel of three judges ruled in January that the 13 districts of the state House were an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander
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