Gerrymandering

In most of the United States, politicians have drawn voting maps designed to keep their party in power.

What is Gerrymandering and How Does it Effect Me?

Definition

In representative electoral systems, gerrymandering is the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries to advantage a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency. The manipulation may involve "cracking" or "packing". Gerrymandering can also be used to protect incumbents.

Purpose

Rather than voters choosing their representatives, gerrymandering empowers politicians to choose their voters. This tends to occur especially when line drawing is left to legislatures and one political party controls the process, as has become increasingly common.

What Could Have Been

It could have been different. Two years ago, Congress came close just short of passing the landmark Freedom to Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would have banned partisan gerrymandering nationwide and strengthened map-drawing protections for communities of color.

What We Propose

We are of the opinion, that any changes in the district lines for any congressional district should be voted on by the citizens most impacted by those changes. Gerrymandering doesn't even require voters to be notified of those changes. I will propose immediate election reforms to include banning of the gerrymandering practice.

In most of the United States, politicians have drawn voting maps designed to keep their party in power.

This fall, Americans are casting ballots to choose a new House of Representatives. The election will be a close one, with both parties having the chance to emerge with the majority. Unfortunately, for many Americans, the fight will be an unfair one.

Thanks to gerrymandering, only 1 in 10 districts in the country will be competitive. And, in many states, maps skew wildly in favor of the party who drew them — giving Republicans, on balance, a head start of around 16 seats in the battle for the chamber.

PRIMARY INFORMATION SOURCE: Brennan Center for Justice

Gerrymandering

What is Gerrymandering and How Does it Effect Me?

Definition

Purpose

What Could Have Been

What We Propose

​In most of the United States, politicians have drawn voting maps designed to keep their party in power.

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In most of the United States, politicians have drawn voting maps designed to keep their party in power.