Comments on: My adventures in redistricting reform https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Sun, 08 Nov 2015 03:15:41 +0000 hourly 1 By: My adventures in redistricting reform (from Overlawyered) | Free State Notes https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-329395 Sun, 08 Nov 2015 03:15:41 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56085#comment-329395 […] [cross-posted from Overlawyered] […]

]]> By: Walter Olson https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-329345 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 21:05:36 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56085#comment-329345 As a federal enactment the Voting Rights Act takes precedence over state law and must be fully complied with before the state criteria come into play.

]]> By: Wilbur https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-329344 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 18:41:55 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56085#comment-329344 Very interesting.
I’m sure this has been considered but I’m curious: How will this pass muster with the Voting Rights Act when formerly majority-black districts are eliminated or at the least altered?

]]> By: jesse spurway https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-329343 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 18:36:49 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56085#comment-329343 They can, Don. In the late 80’s we (USDA) had a BASIC program that drew maps of South Carolina based on insect trap counts. We could reconfigure the maps to show the best insect control ideas.
Not a great leap from showing a count of insects to showing a count of people.

]]> By: MattS https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-329342 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 18:36:24 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56085#comment-329342 In reply to Walter Olson.

Thanks.

]]> By: Don Miller https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-329339 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 15:46:10 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56085#comment-329339 I have long thought that a computer program could be designed using GIS data to draw simply compact voting districts.

People would hate them.

]]> By: Walter Olson https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-329338 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 15:44:04 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56085#comment-329338 See pp. 27 and 56 where we discuss this at length, including the two most widely used measures, total-perimeter and deviation from rectangular/circular shape. We did not recommend putting a measure of compactness into permanent constitutional language, although Colorado, for one, does do this with its total-perimeter test (see p. 56).

https://governor.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Final-Redistricting-Report.pdf

]]> By: MattS https://www.overlawyered.com/2015/11/my-adventures-in-redistricting-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-329337 Fri, 06 Nov 2015 15:21:39 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=56085#comment-329337 “requiring congruence with county and city boundaries where possible, contiguity, and compactness”

I followed the links all the way through to the final report. Congruence with political boundaries and contiguity are fairly simple, but no mention is made of how you recommend to measure compactness.

The ratio of boundary length to area would probably make a good measure of compactness.

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