Articles

5-4 Supreme Court won’t block districts drawn for partisan gain

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled federal courts have no role to play in policing political districts drawn for partisan gain. The decision could embolden political line-drawing for partisan gain when state lawmakers undertake the next round of redistricting after the 2020 census.

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Judge blocks Fort Wayne ‘pay to play’ ordinance

An Allen County judge has enjoined Fort Wayne from enforcing an ordinance designed to curb “pay-to-play” arrangements that allegedly led to city contracts for businesses that contribute to local candidates’ campaigns.

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AG Hill’s bid to block Marion County early voting plan fizzles

The heated dispute ignited by Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill’s effort to block Marion County’s early voting plan ended with a whimper at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Monday after both sides acknowledged a change in the voting method nixed the need for a ruling from the federal appellate bench.

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Suit: Indiana’s absentee voter verification system unconstitutional

Common Cause Indiana and a group of registered voters in St. Joseph County are challenging the process Indiana uses to validate absentee ballots, calling it constitutionally flawed and asking a federal court to prohibit the state from rejecting absentee ballots based solely on perceived signature mismatches.

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Multiple Indiana voting laws on trial in federal court

Indiana, like many states, has been amending and enacting new voting laws in the name of stamping out voter fraud. Lawyers and civic organizations are challenging laws and regulations that they believe are restricting the right to vote.

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State’s request for stay rebuffed in voter registration case

An attempt by the state of Indiana to squash discovery into its practice of maintaining voter rolls has been stopped by the Southern Indiana District Court, which pointed out to both parties that it has “extremely broad discretion in controlling discovery.” Judge Tanya Walton Pratt issued the order Friday in Common Cause Indiana v. Connie Lawson, et al., denying the state’s request to stay proceedings and discovery while the case is on interlocutory appeal.

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Marion County Election Board ratifies ballot, early voting times

The Marion County Election Board unanimously ratified the 2018 general ballot Wednesday and approved a resolution to extend available voting hours at the clerk’s office starting Oct. 26. For the first time, the ballot will include retention votes for Marion Superior judges.

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Judges: N.C. congressional districts still partisan biased

Federal judges on Monday affirmed their earlier decision striking North Carolina’s congressional districts as unconstitutional because Republicans drew them with excessive partisanship. The Tarheel State is one of several in which lawsuits are challenging partisan gerrymandering.

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Hill enduring backlash in voting lawsuits

Even as the office of embattled Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is pleading for more time to challenge a ruling that found changes to the state's voter registration statute violated federal law, it's taking another election dispute to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

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AG Hill appeals Marion County early voting plan to 7th Circuit

After Senior Judge Sarah Evans Barker on Thursday afternoon rejected his motion objecting to Marion County’s plan for early voting, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill turned to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Hill is proceeding over the objection of Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, whose office is charged by law with election oversight.

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Judge rejects Hill’s bid to halt Marion County early voting

A motion filed by Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill to amend a consent decree establishing multiple early voting sites in Marion County for the upcoming November general election has been denied. Indiana Southern District Senior Judge Sarah Evans Barker wrote the state’s objections have no merit.

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Attorney General taking fight against early voting consent decree to 7th Circuit

In defending the Indiana Attorney General’s objection to an agreement about early voting, Indiana Solicitor General Thomas M. Fisher said the action is “rather routine” and the office would be submitting additional filings to the courts, including an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The comments came two days after the attorney general filed a motion challenging the consent decree establishing five early voting sites in Marion County.

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Hill defends motion against early voting in Marion County

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is hitting back at Secretary of State Connie Lawson for calling his actions “reckless” but is remaining quiet on the assertion that his motion to derail Marion County’s plan to expand early voting is “premised on a fundamental factual misrepresentation.”

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