A Wisconsin case on legislative redistricting could have wide-ranging effects on rural voters across the U.S.
As The Rural Blog reports, a panel of three judges in Wisconsin has determined that the state’s Republican party acted unconstitutionally when it redrew state legislative districts in 2011.
The judges ruled that the state GOP intentionally tried to favor Republican candidates. The case opens the door for the U.S. Supreme Court to fix the system for redistricting both legislative and congressional seats after the 2020 census. Many states across the US, including Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, have drawn criticism in recent years for attempts by the GOP to redistrict states to favor their own party.
The practice, known as gerrymandering, is unconstitutional as it disenfranchises voters. Computer models are now available that will fairly redraw districts. The judge who cast the deciding vote in Wisconsin was an appointee of Ronald Reagan.