Kevin Morris
@kevintmorris.bsky.social
Senior Research Fellow and Voting Policy Scholar at @BrennanCenter.org. Democracy is good, prisons are bad. Usually on a bike, beach, or backpacking trip.
kevintmorris.com
Posts regularly deleted using https://bsky.jazco.dev/cleanup.
kevintmorris.com
Posts regularly deleted using https://bsky.jazco.dev/cleanup.
Pinned
It's official: An American Problem (our book on the Voting Rights Act, preclearance, and the effects of Shelby County) will be coming out next year with Princeton University Press. As the VRA faces continued threats, we're hopeful it will offer insight into why the it's is so vitally important
I'm sorry, what?
November 27, 2025 at 12:47 AM
I'm sorry, what?
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Social science takes time. Here, social scientists analyze a decade of evidence to show that a Supreme Court decision designed to suppress the black vote actually did. SCOTUS may soon obliterate the rest of the Voting Rights Act and we should not be shy about calling out what's going on here.
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 26, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Social science takes time. Here, social scientists analyze a decade of evidence to show that a Supreme Court decision designed to suppress the black vote actually did. SCOTUS may soon obliterate the rest of the Voting Rights Act and we should not be shy about calling out what's going on here.
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Ok if you know anyone working in campaigns, or wanting to, or who just wants to understand some things about who runs our politics, they might want to read
Producing Politics
Inside the Exclusive Campaign World Where the Privileged Few Shape Politics for All of Us
www.beacon.org/Producing-Po...
Producing Politics
Inside the Exclusive Campaign World Where the Privileged Few Shape Politics for All of Us
www.beacon.org/Producing-Po...
November 26, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Ok if you know anyone working in campaigns, or wanting to, or who just wants to understand some things about who runs our politics, they might want to read
Producing Politics
Inside the Exclusive Campaign World Where the Privileged Few Shape Politics for All of Us
www.beacon.org/Producing-Po...
Producing Politics
Inside the Exclusive Campaign World Where the Privileged Few Shape Politics for All of Us
www.beacon.org/Producing-Po...
Spent a good chunk of the afternoon hand-coding the missing precincts in Georgia; some 98% of votes are now matched to precinct-shapefiles, making calculating racial demographics easier.
The upshot doesn't change: In heavily White, Democratic parts of GA, the White D cand outran the Black D cand
The upshot doesn't change: In heavily White, Democratic parts of GA, the White D cand outran the Black D cand
November 25, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Spent a good chunk of the afternoon hand-coding the missing precincts in Georgia; some 98% of votes are now matched to precinct-shapefiles, making calculating racial demographics easier.
The upshot doesn't change: In heavily White, Democratic parts of GA, the White D cand outran the Black D cand
The upshot doesn't change: In heavily White, Democratic parts of GA, the White D cand outran the Black D cand
Reposted by Kevin Morris
I talk about her in my Black abolitionists of NYC walking tour and usually no one has heard of her but she was Rosa Parks on the bus 100 years before that incident.
In 1855 Elizabeth Jennings Graham brought a suit that initiated the desegregation of NYC transit. Raised by politically active parents (her was mother formerly enslaved, her entrepreneur father was awarded a patent in 1821) Ms. Graham was a teacher, organist, & kindergarten founder.
November 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I talk about her in my Black abolitionists of NYC walking tour and usually no one has heard of her but she was Rosa Parks on the bus 100 years before that incident.
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Bear in mind: it has ever been thus!
There's no golden age when information was immaculate & the people devoted to imbibing it all. The midcentury US, with its major newspapers & three networks, was where the basic survey research demonstrating how little citizens know about politics was conducted
There's no golden age when information was immaculate & the people devoted to imbibing it all. The midcentury US, with its major newspapers & three networks, was where the basic survey research demonstrating how little citizens know about politics was conducted
You cannot rationally govern an electorate guided by hallucinations
Yep. If voters aren't making choices based in actual reality then democracy cannot function
November 25, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Bear in mind: it has ever been thus!
There's no golden age when information was immaculate & the people devoted to imbibing it all. The midcentury US, with its major newspapers & three networks, was where the basic survey research demonstrating how little citizens know about politics was conducted
There's no golden age when information was immaculate & the people devoted to imbibing it all. The midcentury US, with its major newspapers & three networks, was where the basic survey research demonstrating how little citizens know about politics was conducted
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Crucial analysis from @kevintmorris.bsky.social. Required reading, really, for anyone who works / opines on recent US history and the current political moment - and for anyone who seeks to understand the Right's assault on elections.
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Crucial analysis from @kevintmorris.bsky.social. Required reading, really, for anyone who works / opines on recent US history and the current political moment - and for anyone who seeks to understand the Right's assault on elections.
Let the crust making commence!
November 25, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Let the crust making commence!
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Yep. NYC needs to move beyond paint and plastic to permanent, high-quality materials that are installed quickly.
'The Permanence Agenda': Paint and Plastic Won’t Deliver Real Street Safety - Streetsblog New York City
Rather than continuing New York's quick-build approach to redesigning streets with temporary materials, Zohran Mamdani should aim for permanent.
nyc.streetsblog.org
November 24, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Yep. NYC needs to move beyond paint and plastic to permanent, high-quality materials that are installed quickly.
Reposted by Kevin Morris
A bit more detail about this post. Trump-world (and particularly Press Sec. Karoline Leavitt) have been leaning heavily on the idea of a popular mandate from last year's election. Declining polls and the 2025 elections strain that argument, but the presidency still has a whole lot of power
Trump is learning the limits of mandate politics. Maybe. open.substack.com/pub/goodpoli...
Trump is learning the limits of mandate politics. Maybe.
After the 2024 election, Trump and his communication team – especially press secretary Karoline Leavitt – seized on the idea that his 49.8% of the popular vote constituted a historic mandate. This, ac...
open.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:49 PM
A bit more detail about this post. Trump-world (and particularly Press Sec. Karoline Leavitt) have been leaning heavily on the idea of a popular mandate from last year's election. Declining polls and the 2025 elections strain that argument, but the presidency still has a whole lot of power
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Looking forward to reading this new research. We need scholarship that continues to expose the disastrous effects of the Roberts’ Court’s assault on the Voting Rights Act.
Thanks @kevintmorris.bsky.social and @michaelgmiller.bsky.social.
Thanks @kevintmorris.bsky.social and @michaelgmiller.bsky.social.
November 24, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Looking forward to reading this new research. We need scholarship that continues to expose the disastrous effects of the Roberts’ Court’s assault on the Voting Rights Act.
Thanks @kevintmorris.bsky.social and @michaelgmiller.bsky.social.
Thanks @kevintmorris.bsky.social and @michaelgmiller.bsky.social.
Reposted by Kevin Morris
A harmful SCOTUS ruling in Louisiana v. Callais could disproportionately affect voters at the local level, who often use Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to challenge discriminatory maps and voting policies, @kevintmorris.bsky.social told @boltsmag.org. boltsmag.org/voting-right...
Black Residents in West Tennessee Just Won Fairer Districts. Now Comes SCOTUS. - Bolts
The Supreme Court may further erode the Voting Rights Act in an upcoming decision. Beyond affecting Congress, that would reverberate across local governments nationwide.
boltsmag.org
November 24, 2025 at 6:36 PM
A harmful SCOTUS ruling in Louisiana v. Callais could disproportionately affect voters at the local level, who often use Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to challenge discriminatory maps and voting policies, @kevintmorris.bsky.social told @boltsmag.org. boltsmag.org/voting-right...
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Doubly bad, right, in that they cowardly appoint the judges to do it for them -- and confirm Roberts at the same time that they are working on the reauthorization. Shameful stuff
November 24, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Doubly bad, right, in that they cowardly appoint the judges to do it for them -- and confirm Roberts at the same time that they are working on the reauthorization. Shameful stuff
An aside (not discussed in the paper, but we do in the book): while Roberts rightly gets a lot of the blame for Shelby, don't miss the role of the Senate during the 2006 reauthorization... 1/
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 5:51 PM
An aside (not discussed in the paper, but we do in the book): while Roberts rightly gets a lot of the blame for Shelby, don't miss the role of the Senate during the 2006 reauthorization... 1/
Popeyes turkey procured
November 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Popeyes turkey procured
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Hugely important study. Turns out the Voting Rights Act was actually super helpful for protecting racial minorities from voter suppression in states that were notorious for voter suppression. Among the many disastrous legacies of Roberts' tenure, gutting the VRA is up there.
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Hugely important study. Turns out the Voting Rights Act was actually super helpful for protecting racial minorities from voter suppression in states that were notorious for voter suppression. Among the many disastrous legacies of Roberts' tenure, gutting the VRA is up there.
Reposted by Kevin Morris
Having a hard time keeping up w/ the redistricting news from last week? I was, too.
So, I did what I do when I can't quite get my thoughts organized--I wrote.
Here's some takeaways from TX, NC, & a few other items:
open.substack.com/pub/chriscoo...
So, I did what I do when I can't quite get my thoughts organized--I wrote.
Here's some takeaways from TX, NC, & a few other items:
open.substack.com/pub/chriscoo...
Last Week in Redistricting
Last week was a doozy of a week in redistricting news. Here's a quick rundown of the highlights.
open.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Having a hard time keeping up w/ the redistricting news from last week? I was, too.
So, I did what I do when I can't quite get my thoughts organized--I wrote.
Here's some takeaways from TX, NC, & a few other items:
open.substack.com/pub/chriscoo...
So, I did what I do when I can't quite get my thoughts organized--I wrote.
Here's some takeaways from TX, NC, & a few other items:
open.substack.com/pub/chriscoo...
Reposted by Kevin Morris
SIGH
I personally date the fall of the post-Civil Rights constitutional order 2013 & Shelby County v Holder. When a reactionary SCOTUS could knock out the keystone of equal voting rights, & everyone agreed that was valid, it was an epochal change. It meant democracy was itself now a partisan issue.
I personally date the fall of the post-Civil Rights constitutional order 2013 & Shelby County v Holder. When a reactionary SCOTUS could knock out the keystone of equal voting rights, & everyone agreed that was valid, it was an epochal change. It meant democracy was itself now a partisan issue.
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 3:12 AM
SIGH
I personally date the fall of the post-Civil Rights constitutional order 2013 & Shelby County v Holder. When a reactionary SCOTUS could knock out the keystone of equal voting rights, & everyone agreed that was valid, it was an epochal change. It meant democracy was itself now a partisan issue.
I personally date the fall of the post-Civil Rights constitutional order 2013 & Shelby County v Holder. When a reactionary SCOTUS could knock out the keystone of equal voting rights, & everyone agreed that was valid, it was an epochal change. It meant democracy was itself now a partisan issue.
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 12:47 AM
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Good moment to revisit this excellent piece of research from my @brennancenter.org colleagues:
Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders
Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders
November 23, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Good moment to revisit this excellent piece of research from my @brennancenter.org colleagues:
Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders
Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders
Reposted by Kevin Morris
“The filibuster used to help us to obstruct civil rights progress and the filling of judicial vacancies, but its current role in slowing our authoritarian agenda shows its time must be up.”
"What once seemed like a dignified brake on hasty lawmaking now blocks even routine governance," U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent writes. https://wapo.st/4iiAAKS
Opinion | It’s time to end the filibuster
Senate Republicans should not shy from doing what Democrats are certain to do.
wapo.st
November 23, 2025 at 10:04 PM
“The filibuster used to help us to obstruct civil rights progress and the filling of judicial vacancies, but its current role in slowing our authoritarian agenda shows its time must be up.”
Folks, the VRA is not about electing Democrats. It's about drawing districts in which communities of color have the opportunity to elect a representative that will actually represent their community's interests.
This is a completely incorrect understanding of how the VRA works. It has been used, hundreds of times, to create minority opportunity districts in non-partisan elections, in areas where all Ds are elected, and where all Rs are elected. It absolutely does not "force" groups to be represented by Ds
November 23, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Folks, the VRA is not about electing Democrats. It's about drawing districts in which communities of color have the opportunity to elect a representative that will actually represent their community's interests.
This is exactly why this piece is so important. The national conversation has largely flattened the effects of the VRA -- and it's potential demise -- to which party controls Congress. There's so much more to the VRA than that, and so much more on the line
I, for one, have only really thought about the VRA through the prism of federal elections, not local elections.
But this well-reported piece reminds us that ending the VRA will have an impact on ALL levels of representative government.
Via @pascalsabino.bsky.social.
boltsmag.org/voting-right...
But this well-reported piece reminds us that ending the VRA will have an impact on ALL levels of representative government.
Via @pascalsabino.bsky.social.
boltsmag.org/voting-right...
Black Residents in West Tennessee Just Won Fairer Districts. Now Comes SCOTUS. - Bolts
The Supreme Court may further erode the Voting Rights Act in an upcoming decision. Beyond affecting Congress, that would reverberate across local governments nationwide.
boltsmag.org
November 22, 2025 at 10:40 PM
This is exactly why this piece is so important. The national conversation has largely flattened the effects of the VRA -- and it's potential demise -- to which party controls Congress. There's so much more to the VRA than that, and so much more on the line
Can't help but wonder how much of the Trump–Mamdani reaction is driven by people searching for "proof" that things aren't as dire as they are.
November 22, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Can't help but wonder how much of the Trump–Mamdani reaction is driven by people searching for "proof" that things aren't as dire as they are.
I talked with @pascalsabino.bsky.social at @boltsmag.org about the ways that the current VRA case could have outsized implications for local representation --- something I've been yelling about on here a lot. This whole piece is worth a read on your Saturday morning
boltsmag.org/voting-right...
boltsmag.org/voting-right...
November 22, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I talked with @pascalsabino.bsky.social at @boltsmag.org about the ways that the current VRA case could have outsized implications for local representation --- something I've been yelling about on here a lot. This whole piece is worth a read on your Saturday morning
boltsmag.org/voting-right...
boltsmag.org/voting-right...