Judge orders New York's redistricting commission to redraw the state's congressional map by Feb. 6
On Jan. 21, New York state judge Jeffrey Pearlman ruled that New York's 11th Congressional District unconstitutionally diluted Black and Latino voting power. Pearlman ordered the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the congressional map by Feb. 6. The case could be appealed.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2025, argued that the district's boundaries "confine Staten Island's growing Black and Latino communities in a district where they are routinely and systematically unable to influence elections." The district, which U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R) represents, is New York City's only congressional district with a Republican representative.
New York is one of 11 states that use redistricting commissions to draw congressional district lines. Six states have already revised their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections. Four states — California, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas — voluntarily passed new congressional maps. Ohio was required by law to adopt a new map. New York would join Utah as the second state to have litigation lead to a new map.
More former members of Congress have announced candidacies for a non-consecutive term in any cycle since 2016
This year, 19 former U.S. House members and three former U.S. Senators have announced campaigns to run for a non-consecutive term in the same chamber. These 22 total former members of Congress running for non-consecutive terms is the most of any cycle going back to 2016. Two former U.S. House members — Rodney Blum (R-Iowa) and Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) — have withdrawn their candidacies after announcing their campaigns but are still included in this total.
The 19 House members announced their candidacies in 13 states. Eleven of these former members are Democrats, and eight are Republicans.
On the Senate side, three ex-senators are running in Ohio and New Hampshire. We previously reported that this is the most Senators running for a non-consecutive term since 2012 and 2014, when three former Senators also ran.
What to know about early voting, the second-most common way to cast a ballot
In the 2024 election, more than 48.8 million voters cast a ballot using early voting, according to Election Assistance Commission data, making it the second-most common method of casting a ballot behind Election Day voting.
Currently, 47 states and the District of Columbia offer no-excuse early voting in some form. Alabama and New Hampshire do not have early voting, and Mississippi offers excuse-required early voting for voters in eight categories.
The early voting process can be similar to casting a ballot on Election Day. States with voter ID laws, for instance, require individuals to show identification in order to vote early.
So far this year, lawmakers in 26 states have introduced or carried over 100 bills related to how long early voting takes place, how it is administered, and who is eligible to vote.
None of those bills have been enacted yet. In 2025, legislators in nine states adopted 13 laws related to early voting.