State of Elections — Page 113 — William & Mary Law School

Behind the Scenes View of Florida’s Congressional Redistricting

Election Law Society · October 9, 2014 ·

By Christine Wilson

Dr. Susan A. MacManus is a Distinguished Professor at the University of South Florida in the Government and International Affairs Department. MacManus also serves as the political analyst for WFLA News Channel 8, the Tampa NBC affiliate and is a featured columnist on sayfiereview.com. I am honored to have been able to ask her a few questions about congressional redistricting in Florida.

In 2010, Florida voters, through an initiative, amended Florida’s Constitution to specify criteria for congressional redistricting. Judge Terry P. Lewis, a Florida judge in Leon County, recently ruled that District 5 and District 10 violated the constitutional provision on congressional redistricting and ordered the Florida Legislature to draw a new congressional map in compliance with Florida’s Constitution.

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered: Absentee Voting in North Carolina

Election Law Society · October 7, 2014 ·

By: Julie Tulbert

All eyes are on the Supreme Court as we wait to find out what they will do with North Carolina’s emergency appeal of the 4^th Circuit’s decision to grant an injunction against two provisions of the state’s Voter Identification and Verification Act. This injunction applies to the elimination of same-day voting and the ability to count ballots from people voting out of their precinct. One issue that is absent from the discussion? Absentee postal voting.

Gerrymandered or Court Ordered: The Second Re-Drawing Is the Charm for Florida’s Fifth

Election Law Society · September 26, 2014 ·

By: Jonathan Gonzalez

After the first round of judicial wrangling over two allegedly gerrymandered congressional districts, a Florida judge ordered on July 10^th 2014 that the Florida fifth and tenth districts be sent back to the drawing board. The dispute arose from the Florida House of Representative’s mandated redrawing of the state’s congressional districts under amendments to Florida’s constitution passed during the 2010 election cycle. The amendments were intended to ensure that legislative districts were drawn cohesively and without favoring any political party. The Republican controlled state legislature interpreted “cohesive” as a mandate to pack African American voters into one district.

Indiana Nursing Homes: Hotbeds of Absentee Voters Ripe for the Picking?

Election Law Society · September 23, 2014 ·

By: Staff Writer

A quick glance at the calendar shows another Election Day fast approaching. Television commercials, radio advertisements, and yard signs provide constant reminders of a day that will come and go for many Americans–except maybe the candidates who might win just enough of the scant few votes cast to claim their seats on local councils and boards, on state legislatures, and even in Congress. Despite the apathy of the typical citizen when it comes to non-Presidential elections, one group stands out as at least slightly more proactive and civic-minded than average. This group consists of absentee voters–some of whom voted this year as early as the 15^th of September. While many people are aware of this practice that allows citizens to vote without having to visit a polling place on the day of the election, most people know little about all the different absentee-like options available in the 50 states.

Indiana provides two versions of absentee voting to citizens–the traditional “no-excuse” mail-in absentee ballot and the newer, seemingly oxymoronic, “in-person” absentee method. Importantly, Indiana’s photo ID laws do not apply to absentee-by-mail voters. With two different methods available, it seems many citizens would take advantage of the convenience and ease of the process. But who votes absentee anyway? Luckily, I happen to know of at least one group of about 60 people in a small northern Indiana town who would not miss this opportunity to cast a ballot. These citizens are residents of one of the 511 nursing homes in the state of Indiana–a state with 4.4 million registered voters as of 2012. And while 60 out of 4.4 million may seem insignificant, it is helpful to remember that, especially in smaller races, the difference between winning and losing may depend on a number not far off from 60 votes. This fact combined with Gallup estimates showing older voters accounted for 36% of the electorate in 2012 (the largest generational group) provides sufficient incentive for local politicians to make at least one campaign stop at the nearest nursing facility. It turns out that is exactly what Indiana District 22 GOP candidate Curt Nisly did.

Chad Taylor Not In Kansas (Senate Race) Anymore? Not So Fast, Says SOS

Election Law Society · September 12, 2014 ·

By Staff Writer

As November 4^th draws near, most U.S. Senate campaigns are preparing for the home stretch: honing Election Day operations plans, recruiting poll watchers, and beginning get-out-the-vote activities early and absentee ballots start to appear in voters’ mailboxes. In Kansas, however, the Democratic Party has been forced to contend with a Senate candidate who is actively attempting to drop out of the race perilously close to the finish line, as well as the legal consequences that have ensued as a result.