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Supreme Court to hear case that could change how voting districts are drawn

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This is an interesting challenge.

Supreme Court to hear case that could change how voting districts are drawn - LA Times

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a major shift in how political districts are drawn nationwide by counting only citizens who can vote, not the total population. If the justices eventually rule for the conservative group that appealed the issue, the decision could dilute the political power of Latinos, especially in large states such as Texas, California and Florida. The court said Tuesday it will hear the case in the fall and rule early next year.
 
This is interesting. I have never heard this issue raised before.
 
I wish they could make a decision regarding gerrymandering as well, but sadly the constitution is clear on that one.
 
This is one of those cases where I expect a straight partisan vote, as it is all about partisan power. This court will side with anything that allows more conservatives to get into offices, even if it further subverts the democratic process.
 
I find it odd the SC even picked-up this case, unless they're trying to go 'activist'?
 
Not an issue I have ever thought of. But I think our representatives should represent EVERYONE in their district, not just the voters.
 
There is precedent but it's ugly. Under the old three-fifths rule a slave was counted as three-fifths of a person for apportionment purposes.

That precedent was rather assertively removed, though.

Wouldn't this remove representatives for the southern states?
 
This is one of those cases where I expect a straight partisan vote, as it is all about partisan power. This court will side with anything that allows more conservatives to get into offices, even if it further subverts the democratic process.

Why would there be any reason to draw voting districts based on anything other than the population of CITIZENS?? We are the ones who vote and are represented by our elected officials, so why should anyone outside that group be included in the decisions on voting districts?? Non-citizens have no voice in our gov't, just the protection of our laws and that's the way it needs to be (and is in pretty much every country on the planet).
 
Not an issue I have ever thought of. But I think our representatives should represent EVERYONE in their district, not just the voters.

They would still represent everyone. The issue is that the voting districts would be drawn up based on the population of those allowed to vote (IMO, it needs to be based on number of citizens, but this is a good starting point to hammer out the details).
 
Not an issue I have ever thought of. But I think our representatives should represent EVERYONE in their district, not just the voters.

Why should they represent non-voters? There are only three types of people that are not allowed to vote. Those that are in prison (which is against the Constitution imo and needs to be rectified). Those that are here legally but are not citizens. Which is a good idea that they not be represented for the simple fact that their allegiance is to another country and we do not want other countries dictating our laws. And people that are here illegally. And the reason that they should not be represented is the same reason that I just put forth for those here legally.
 
Why should they represent non-voters? There are only three types of people that are not allowed to vote. Those that are in prison (which is against the Constitution imo and needs to be rectified). Those that are here legally but are not citizens. Which is a good idea that they not be represented for the simple fact that their allegiance is to another country and we do not want other countries dictating our laws. And people that are here illegally. And the reason that they should not be represented is the same reason that I just put forth for those here legally.

And people under 18.

They should represent everyone because people from all the groups you mention participate in the community. They contribute their labor. They own property. They utilize resources. They pay taxes, even if it is just sales tax.

My wife isn't a citizen yet. I don't think she should be able to vote until she has that citizenship but I damn sure think our representatives should keep her interests in mind, just as they do my children, who can't vote yet either.
 
They would still represent everyone. The issue is that the voting districts would be drawn up based on the population of those allowed to vote (IMO, it needs to be based on number of citizens, but this is a good starting point to hammer out the details).

Now that I think about it that does make some sense. Otherwise voters in areas with a large number of people who can't vote would have disproportional influence as compared to voters in areas with a small number of people who can't vote.
 
And people under 18.

They should represent everyone because people from all the groups you mention participate in the community. They contribute their labor. They own property. They utilize resources. They pay taxes, even if it is just sales tax.

My wife isn't a citizen yet. I don't think she should be able to vote until she has that citizenship but I damn sure think our representatives should keep her interests in mind, just as they do my children, who can't vote yet either.

Until she is a citizen then she is a representative of another country. Should we also let Ambassadors of other countries be represented in our system? They live here. They can and often do own property here. And yes, they even pay sales taxes.
 
Until she is a citizen then she is a representative of another country. Should we also let Ambassadors of other countries be represented in our system? They live here. They can and often do own property here. And yes, they even pay sales taxes.

Not the same. Ambassadors and other diplomats aren't subject to our jurisdiction and they can recoup their sales taxes. I was a diplomat for the better part of two decades so I have a little experience in that area.

My wife, on the other hand, DOES pay sales and income taxes and is subject to our laws. She shouldn't get a vote until she is a citizen but our representatives should still care about what she thinks, especially since she helps finance the government.
 
Not the same. Ambassadors and other diplomats aren't subject to our jurisdiction and they can recoup their sales taxes. I was a diplomat for the better part of two decades so I have a little experience in that area.

My wife, on the other hand, DOES pay sales and income taxes and is subject to our laws. She shouldn't get a vote until she is a citizen but our representatives should still care about what she thinks, especially since she helps finance the government.

Why should they care what she thinks? Paying taxes is not enough of a reason. Particularly since she is still beholden to another country.
 
I wish they could make a decision regarding gerrymandering as well, but sadly the constitution is clear on that one.

The federal courts have heard related cases for decades on this issue as to Civil Rights. There is no neutral way to do it, so it just becomes an issue of what is the motive in doing it the way it is done and what are the effects on protected classes of doing it that way with no clear rule other than JDJ--Just Depends on the Judge.

In the case that is the topic of the thread, I am not sure how that could be decided practically. Voter rolls change and are bogged down in some areas with dead people. Then there is same day registration in some states.
 
Why would there be any reason to draw voting districts based on anything other than the population of CITIZENS?? We are the ones who vote and are represented by our elected officials, so why should anyone outside that group be included in the decisions on voting districts?? Non-citizens have no voice in our gov't, just the protection of our laws and that's the way it needs to be (and is in pretty much every country on the planet).

Because it's arbitrary and doesn't matter, and this is only a partisan move to weaken liberal voting blocs through gerrymandering. It has nothing to do with accuracy or principle. If we were interested in that, our districts would be drawn by a computer to be as uniform and compact as possible and not look like this.

OhioCongressionalMap2012_zpsf3ccabbe.jpg
 
lots of refugee/asylum seekers have no such guaranteed stance.

:shrug: Honestly, don't care. Until such time a they are citizens of the US then they should have no say what so ever in our policies. The reason for this is simple. To keep foreign governments from meddling in our affairs as much as possible.
 
That precedent was rather assertively removed, though.

Wouldn't this remove representatives for the southern states?

It was indeed removed. As for southern states, I suspect Texas might lose a little but the rest of the south probably would not lose much. California would likely be the biggest loser.
 
Not an issue I have ever thought of. But I think our representatives should represent EVERYONE in their district, not just the voters.

That's why they are called voting districts. Only eligible citizens can vote. That means American 18 or older have the right to vote, not children or non-citizens.

The elected officials do represent everyone in their district, like it or not.
 
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This is one of those cases where I expect a straight partisan vote, as it is all about partisan power. This court will side with anything that allows more conservatives to get into offices, even if it further subverts the democratic process.

The democratic process involves citizens voting for their elected officials, not illegal aliens, other non-citizens, or children under the age of 18. As a lawyer I thought you would probably know that. I guess not.
 
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