While no one is talking yet about challenging Indiana’s Republican-drawn maps in the courts, citizens in three other states – Louisiana, Minnesota and Pennsylvania – filed lawsuits Monday seeking to ensure that congressional and legislative districts in those states are fairly redrawn in time for the 2022 elections.
The suits came on the same day that the U.S. Census Bureau released new state-by-state population numbers from the 2020 census, and contend that the new numbers show population shifts that will require that the districts in the three states be redrawn.
The plaintiffs seek for the courts to take over the redistricting process in those states because it’s unlikely their state legislatures and governors will be able to agree on new maps soon enough to complete the process in time for the 2022 elections. Each of the states has a Democratic governor and at least one legislative chamber controlled by Republicans.
The “impasse litigation” was filed with support from the National Redistricting Action Fund, a nonprofit run by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Significantly, the suits were filed by the same Democrat-backed lawyer, Marc Elias, who filed dozens of lawsuits – many successful — trying to expand voter access before the 2020 election. — Bill Theobald
