DESENA v. Maine

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

SELYA, Circuit Judge.

This case, brought in the aftermath of the 2010 decennial census, posits that population shifts have made Maine’s two congressional districts unequal and that, given Maine’s redistricting format, the disparity will not be rectified before the 2012 election. The upshot, the plaintiffs say, is unconstitutional vote dilution.

To put this claim in perspective, we begin with an overview of Maine’s approach to congressional apportionment. Following each federal decennial census, Maine (like every other state) receives population data and an allotment of…