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Read This: An easy explainer on gerrymandering
If you’ve been following politics lately, you’ve probably heard the term “gerrymandering” and like most people, you may have wondered, what the heck is that?
What is gerrymandering?
Gerrymandering is when the maps for voting districts are purposefully drawn unfairly by politicians in order to benefit a certain political party or group of voters.
The term comes from former Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry who signed a bill in 1812 to redraw the voting districts in his state. One new district was so wonky, its outline resembled a salamander. So, Gerry+mander = gerrymander, and the term was born.
Gerrymandering is the kind of thing that annoys people about politics and makes them want to tune out altogether, but understanding and pushing back against it is the only way to fix it and get politics working fairly for all of us, so let’s learn a little more about it.
What’s the difference between gerrymandering and redistricting?
Gerrymandering happens during the perfectly routine process of redistricting. Every ten years, after we get updated population numbers from the U.S. Census, the number of seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives is recalculated.
This is also a good time for states to redraw their voting districts, and someone has to draw those maps! In most states, that responsibility falls to the state legislature, although in some states it is done by independent groups or commissions.
So, state politicians get the privilege of creating the very districts that will vote for them! Both political parties have been known to take advantage of this power by creating those districts in ways that favor their own candidates.
How does gerrymandering hurt voters?
Most voters agree, gerrymandering isn’t fair. It seems like common sense that politicians shouldn’t get to be the ones deciding who their voters are – it’s supposed to be the other way around!
Gerrymandering is also bad for voter representation. It reduces competitiveness in races because fewer candidates will challenge incumbents if the race seems impossible to win. And when politicians feel secure in their seats, they become less accountable. They know they’ll be re-elected easily regardless of how well they represent their constituents.
Gerrymandering ultimately results in the disproportionate representation of a party in the state compared to its actual population. For example, in heavily gerrymandered North Carolina, the percentages of Republican and Democratic voters are equal, but voting districts are skewed to elect 10-11 out of 14 U.S. House seats for Republicans in the 2026 elections. Similarly, in Ohio, their 2026 maps are expected to elect 12 out of 15 U.S. House seats for Republicans, despite their voting population being more evenly split.
Is gerrymandering legal?
While it’s unfair, there is nothing that makes gerrymandering along partisan lines illegal. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that there is no federal oversight for partisan gerrymandering, although it can be challenged in state courts. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 does, however, make racial gerrymandering illegal.
How does gerrymandering hurt Black and brown communities?
Gerrymandering hurts the party that is not in power when the district maps are drawn, and it also disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities. Gerrymandering has historically been used to reduce minority representation and voting power in a state. This is done by either “cracking” or “packing” districts.
“Cracking” is when district lines are drawn right through communities of color in order to split them up across multiple districts. This gives them less of a chance to elect a representative in any given district. “Packing” is when lines are drawn to place communities of color all in one district, reducing their overall opportunities for representation in the state. Both are illegal, but that doesn’t stop lawmakers from trying.
Why are we talking about gerrymandering so much right now?
We already mentioned examples of gerrymandering in North Carolina and Ohio, states that have seen significant gerrymandering in recent years, but it’s happening nationwide as extremists in state legislatures try to hold onto power.
President Trump recently pressured Texas and Missouri into gerrymandering their congressional districts in favor of Republicans. In response, California passed a redistricting measure that will favor Democrats in 2026, and Virginia is holding a special election this month to do the same. Other measures or court cases are taking place in states like Utah, Missouri, New York, and Maryland.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on Louisiana v. Callais, an incredibly consequential case that risks overturning some of the protections the Voting Rights Act gives us against racial gerrymandering.
What’s an alternative to gerrymandering?
Once voters understand what gerrymandering is, they agree that it undermines our democracy. We all want our votes to count fairly and equally. Elections should be decided by voters, not by the politicians themselves before we even get to the polls!
One way to combat gerrymandering is to have redistricting done by independent commissions who accurately represent the general population and operate openly and independently. States can also pass laws against gerrymandering, and we can be sure to elect judges who will rule against unfair gerrymandering in our states.
In other words, in order to get rid of this ugly side of politics, we have to get involved locally and change it for the better!
Take it One Step Further: Book Bans
Still feeling curious about book bans and want to learn more? Are you a bookworm who just loves reading books? We’ve got just the thing!
Join our Banned Book Club Every 6 weeks or so, we pick a new book to read, then we get together online, learn a little from a guest speaker, and then break up into small groups for the discussion questions. It’s a really wonderful way to make friends and stand up to book banners at the same time! We’d love to see you there.
Do This: Help Warn Your Friends about the Dangers of Book Bans
Did you know that one of the most effective things you can do is talk to your friends and family about issues affecting our communities? That’s because people trust their friends and family and are more open to learning from them than from strangers. For this week’s action, take a minute to share this post on social. We’ve made it super easy – just click!
Watch This: Author Jodi Picoult Talks about the Problem with Book Bans.
Some of our favorite authors are getting banned, and it’s usually for very questionable reasons. Check out our conversation with best selling author, Jodi Picoult as she shares how one parent had 20 of her books banned in one county.
If you want to hear more of our conversation with Jodi, listen to her full interview on our podcast, The Suburban Women Problem. You can also listen anywhere you get your podcasts.
Read This: What’s Up With All The Book Bans?
These days it might feel like everyone is talking about book bans, from the U.S. president to the PTA. That’s because these bans are happening all over our country, and affecting every community. Whether it’s a ban in a school, a bookstore, or a public library, these bans affect us all, so it’s important to learn about these book bans and why they are happening.
Ok, so what exactly are these book bans all about? Despite the fact that 80% of Americans oppose banning books, in the last few years extremists have become laser focused on trying to control what our kids can read. It’s not enough to just tell their child to not read a book – under the guise of “parents’ rights,” they want to stop all kids from reading certain books. And it’s not because these books are actually dangerous or harmful. It’s because they are written by or about people of color or the LGBTQ+ community or they discuss things extremists don’t want kids to learn about, like accurate American history, sexual education, mental health, even climate change!
Who is banning books? Are you ready for a really crazy statistic? It turns out that just 11 people are behind nearly all banned or challenged books in the US! In many cases, just one person can get dozens of books banned, simply by filing a complaint – even if they haven’t read the literature. They don’t even have to be a local parent or member of the community to do it. This is why the same books tend to get banned across several communities – well-funded, national groups posing as grassroots organizations are targeting these books.
How are our kids impacted by book bans? First, we want to make sure it’s clear these books are being banned and challenged under false pretenses. Age-appropriate books are being pulled from shelves every day for misleading reasons with really harmful consequences. Not having access to these books prevents kids from better understanding the world around them and better understanding themselves, making them less prepared for the real world. We are not helping our kids by banning teaching accurate American history, by erasing LGBTQ people from our schools, or by eliminating comprehensive sex education curriculum.
Want more info? Check out the map below from American Library Association or click here to see a map from Pen America of where books are being banned and why.