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!