Voting Rights and Elections
Nearly every state constitution includes an explicit right to vote, and many state constitutions have “free election” provisions, as well as provisions relating to redistricting, voter eligibility and registration, ballots access, and more. State constitutions also guarantee equal protection, speech, assembly, and other rights. State constitutions have taken on greater significance in the aftermath of Rucho v. Common Cause, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution cannot be used to address partisan gerrymandering, and a series of Supreme Court decisions limiting voters’ rights under the 14th and 15th Amendments and the Voting Rights Act.
State supreme courts around the country are being presented with challenges to voting district maps that are gerrymandered along partisan or racial and ethnic lines, litigation regarding ballot initiatives and ballot access, and challenges to laws that restrict voter eligibility or access, including reduced voting hours, felony disenfranchisement, or onerous voter identification requirements.
Filters
North Carolina Court Enables a Partisan Shift on State Elections Board
The court approved a law to strip the governor’s election board powers, risking creating a precedent for partisan power-grabbing.
Griffin Concedes to Riggs, Ending Six-Month Dispute Over North Carolina Supreme Court Election
The concession follows a federal court decision Monday denying Griffin’s efforts to throw out votes cast in the 2024 election and saying the election must be certified.
A North Carolina Court Decision Could Overturn a 2024 State Supreme Court Election
The decision allows for rewriting election rules after votes have already been counted, moving the losing candidate closer to his goal of having more than 60,000 ballots thrown out.
What’s at Stake in the 2024 Ohio Supreme Court Elections
The outcome of the races for three seats on the high court could impact Ohio law on abortion, voting rights, gun regulations, and more.
In North Carolina, an Attempt to Overturn a Supreme Court Election
The losing candidate for a seat on the high court is trying to have more than 60,000 valid votes thrown out.
North Carolina’s Constitution of Contrasts
The state’s 55-year-old constitution offers progressive protections like a right to education while retaining elements of state-sponsored efforts to prevent Black progress in the post-Reconstruction era.
Louisiana Voters Considering Constitutional Changes that Expand Legislative Power
This week’s ballot asks voters to overhaul the state tax code, give lawmakers more power over creation of courts and juveniles’ punishments, and more.
State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in April
Issues on the dockets include parental rights under now-defunct same-sex marriage bans, New York City’s emissions caps for big buildings, and more.