After a tumultuous 2021 redistricting cycle in which states drew new lines following the (delayed) release ofthe US Census due to the pandemic, ongoing litigation flares around the country on the 2020 maps. In severalstates, that litigation has wound up on the docket at the US Supreme Court. One particular case, Louisiana v. Callais(consolidated Robinson v. Callais), is currently before the Court: the latest chapter in a protracted dispute over race and redistricting in Louisiana, and ongoing tensions between the roles and responsibilities of state legislatures and courts in thework of redistricting.

Remedial districts for the state of Louisiana are drawn using ESRI Redistricter, while asking central questions in the case. What constitutes a 'fair' map? How should line drawers account for the state’s racist history, if at all? What 'communities of interest' should be kept coherent within districts?

Inherent in any redistricting plan is a recognition of the spatial configuration of voting districts and the processes driving proposed voting district maps. Federal and state constitutions and statutes impose legal requirements for voting districts that are, in practice, often manipulated to favor drawing lines that protect partisan/incumbent interests. This project includes working with district boundary maps, census information, and other socioeconomic layers to understand and quantify the real-world impacts when voting districts are redrawn.