Case Summary

On April 26, 2021, a group of Minnesota voters filed a state lawsuit against Minnesota’s Secretary of State challenging the state’s then-existing congressional and legislative redistricting plans, enacted following the 2010 Census, as malapportioned in violation of the one person, one vote requirements under Article I, § 2 of, and the 14th Amendment to, the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Michigan Constitution. Plaintiffs alleged the Governor and State Legislature would be unable to agree on lawful plans in time for the impending 2022 elections and, therefore, sought a declaratory judgment the plans were unconstitutional, an injunction barring the use of those plans in future elections, and for the court to adopt legally compliant congressional and legislative plans if the state failed to do so by the February 15, 2022, deadline under Minnesota law.

• On April 27, 2021, the plaintiffs filed a petition asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to assume jurisdiction over the case and consolidate it with a similar challenge that had been filed against the congressional and legislative plans, Wattson v. Simon. The Court granted the petition and consolidated the cases before it on May 20, 2021.
• On March 22, 2021, the Minnesota Supreme Court granted the plaintiffs’ request to appoint a special redistricting panel but ordered the case be stayed until it was determined that judicial intervention would be necessary to ensure valid plans were in place for the 2022 elections.
• On June 30, 2021, the Minnesota Supreme Court lifted its stay and formally appointed the special redistricting panel to handle the case.
• On February 15, 2022, the special redistricting panel issued orders enjoining the state’s congressional and legislative plans from further use and adopting its own congressional and legislative plans for use in future elections.

Related Case: Wattson v. Simon

Case Library

Minnesota District Court, Ramsey County - 62-cv-21-2213

• Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief - 4/26/21

Minnesota Supreme Court - A21-0546 [together with Wattson v. Simon, A21-0243]

• Petition for Assumption of Jurisdiction and Consolidation Before Special Redistricting Panel - 4/27/21
• Response to Petition - 5/10/21
• Order of Consolidation - 5/20/21
• Motion to Join Additional Party and Amend Complaint - 6/23/21
• Memorandum in Support of Motion to Join Additional Party and Amend Complaint - 6/23/21
• Secretary of State's Response to Motion to Join Additional Party and Amend Complaint - 6/24/21
• Petitioners' Notice of Consent to Motion to Join Additional Party and Amend Complaint - 6/28/21
• Motion to Intervene as Plaintiffs - 6/29/21
• Memorandum in Support of Motion to Intervene as Plaintiffs - 6/29/21
• Order Appointing Special Redistricting Panel - 6/30/21
• Intervenor-Plaintiffs' Response to Motion to Join Additional Party and Amend Complaint - 6/30/21
• Secretary of State's Response to Motion to Intervene - 7/7/21
• Carver County Elections and Licensing Manager's Response to Motion to Join Additional Party and Amend Complaint - 7/13/21
• Common Cause's Intervention Petition - 7/15/21
• Common Cause's Motion to Intervene - 7/15/21
• Common Cause's Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Intervene - 7/15/21
• Order Granting Motion to Intervene - 7/21/21
• Respondent Secretary of State's Response to Motion to Intervene - 8/10/21
• Sachs Plaintiffs' Notice of Consent to Intervention Motions - 8/13/21
• Wattson Plaintiffs' Response to Motions to Intervene - 8/13/21
• Order - 8/23/21
• Notice of Motion and Application to Intervene by Proposed Data Science Intervenors - 9/3/21
• Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion and Application to Intervene by Proposed Data Science Intervenors - 9/3/21
• Proposed Complaint in Intervention by Data Science Intervenors - 9/3/21
• Plaintiffs Peter S. Wattson Et Al.'s Objection to the Proposed Data Science Intervenors' Motion for Intervention - 9/8/21
• Order - 9/10/21
• Anderson Plaintiffs' Response to Proposed Redistricting Principles - 10/20/21
• Order Stating Preliminary Conclusions, Redistricting Principles, and Requirements for Plan Submissions - 11/18/21
• Application by Citizen Data Scientists for Leave to Participate as Amici Curiae and Request for Leave to File Brief - 11/30/21
• Anderson Plaintiffs' Opposition to Application by Citizen Data Scientists for Leave to Participate as Amici Curiae and Request for Leave to File Brief - 12/3/21
• Reply in Support of Application by Citizen Data Scientists for Leave to Participate as Amici Curiae and Request for Leave to File Brief - 12/3/21
• Order - 12/6/21
• Wattson Plaintiffs' Notice of Motion and Motion to Adopt Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Plans - 12/7/21
• Wattson Plaintiffs' Proposed Congressional Redistricting Plan and Accompanying Materials - 12/7/21
• Wattson Plaintiffs' Proposed Legislative Redistricting Plans and Accompanying Materials - 12/7/21
• Letter to Court Regarding Minnesota Secretary of State's Plan Submission - 12/7/21
• Corrie Plaintiffs' Notice of Motion and Motion to Adopt Their Proposed Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Plans With Supporting Memoranda - 12/8/21
• Corrie Plaintiffs' Proposed Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Plans - 12/8/21
• Declarations in Support of Corrie Plaintiffs' Proposed Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Plans - 12/8/21
• Anderson Plaintiffs' Motion to Adopt Congressional Redistricting Plan and Memorandum in Support - 12/8/21
• Anderson Plaintiffs' Proposed Congressional Plan and Reports - 12/8/21
• Anderson Plaintiffs' Motion to Adopt Legislative Redistricting Plan and Memorandum in Support - 12/8/21
• Anderson Plaintiffs' Proposed Legislative Redistricting Plan and Reports - 12/8/21
• Sachs Plaintiffs' Motion to Adopt Proposed Congressional Redistricting Plan and Memorandum in Support - 12/8/21
• Sachs Plaintiffs' Proposed Congressional Redistricting Plan and Reports - 12/8/21
• Sachs Plaintiffs' Motion to Adopt Proposed Legislative Redistricting Plan and Memorandum in Support - 12/8/21
• Sachs Plaintiffs' Proposed Legislative Redistricting Plan and Reports - 12/8/21
• Order - 12/15/21
• Order - 1/10/22
• Final Order Adopting Congressional Redistricting Plan - 2/15/22
• Final Order Adopting Legislative Redistricting Plan - 2/15/22