Redistricting 101: Why Maps Go to Court
Redistricting can be a fraught process often leveraged by Republicans to pass unfair and unconstitutional maps, and some of the best protection voters have against disenfranchisement is through the courts.
Democracy Explained
Democracy is complicated, but we’ve got you covered. Use the drop-down menu to sort our Explainers by topic.
Redistricting 101: How We Got Here
There’s something big looming on the horizon: Redistricting. The U.S. Census Bureau will release its full data later this month, giving lawmakers the details they need about their state’s population changes to draw new maps.
Why Your Secretary of State Matters
In most states across the country, voters elect their secretary of state. These officials hold the keys to vital parts of the election administration process — and who holds these offices has significant ramifications for elections.
What’s a Special Session Anyway?
Special sessions can mean the difference between bills passing or dying — and the circumstances under which they are called can spell the difference between protecting or restricting voting rights.
What’s Next for Voting Rights After Brnovich?
The ruling in Brnovich v. DNC limits an already weakened VRA, but lawsuits can and will still be brought to protect voting rights. While the courtroom battles will continue, passing federal legislation remains crucial.
Wondering How Ranked-Choice Voting Works? You’re Not Alone.
The New York City mayoral primary is coming up this Tuesday, June 22, and with it will come one of the most high-profile uses of a new voting reform: ranked-choice voting.
What’s The Deal With Off-Year Elections?
Five states hold statewide off-year elections. In today’s Explainer, we walk through which states have off-year elections in 2021, why they have them and how the delayed redistricting process could upend expectations.
How the Census Decides Your Congressperson
The census is important for a number of reasons, but today we’re going to talk about one of its biggest uses: redistricting, or the redrawing of district lines to fairly distribute representation in government to voters.
Protecting Minority Voting Rights
Voting rights activists have brought Section 2 claims under the Voting Rights Act against a variety of election laws including voter ID rules, registration restrictions, early vote requirements, and redistricting legislation.
The Fight for D.C. Statehood
Statehood for D.C. is a pressing voting and civil rights issue. D.C. statehood would return self-governance to more than 700,000 Americans and give them proportional representation in Congress.