Through five decennial redistricting cycles, Bickerstaff has represented governmental entities, elected officials, candidates, and private clients in some of Texas’s most significant election law, redistricting, voting rights, and election litigation matters.
State and local elections and redistricting can be complex matters for candidates and governmental entities. The applicable state and federal laws are complex and specialized, and actions and decisions often must occur within brief time frames. Although public scrutiny and press attention can be intense, Bickerstaff attorneys are accustomed to both the fast pace and high pressure of high-profile election and redistricting matters.
Our long history of successfully representing governmental entities and private clients in redistricting and election matters throughout the state has drawn statewide and national attention. Among our clients are candidates from the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and Texas House, as well as a Chief Judge of a Court of Appeals.
Our services include:
Redistricting
Evaluating redistricting requirements, completing remapping of districts in-house through the use of the firm’s map production team and map printing capabilities, advising on the consolidation of districts or creation of additional districts, assisting with the conversion from at-large to single-member voting systems, or counseling on litigation avoidance.
Voting Rights Litigation
Representing clients in claims of racial and ethnic discrimination, “one person-one vote” violations, and “reverse discrimination” under the Voting Rights Act, the Fourteenth and the Fifteenth Amendments, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shaw v. Reno standards.
General and Special Elections
Advising clients on state election laws and procedures; advising on and coordinating local option elections and bond elections; and assisting local government entities with their elections, including ordering ballots, translating elections materials into Spanish, coordinating joint elections, verifying signatures on a petition, training election staff, obtaining polling places, supervising recounts, and handling protests. We also assist clients in:
Election Challenges, Contests and Recounts
Representing governmental entities and elected officials in different types of challenges, including requests for recounts, judicial contests of election results, and challenges to candidates’ qualifications.
