Gerrymandering is a longstanding practice in U.S. politics, allowing parties to manipulate district boundaries to gain electoral advantages. Typically, state legislatures control this process, with districts redrawn every decade post-census, although some states can redraw more frequently. While attempts to limit gerrymandering have led to the establishment of independent commissions, some officials are considering bypassing these to counteract designs by rival parties. Gerrymandering uses methods such as packing voters into few districts or spreading them thinly to dilute opposition strength.
The term ‘gerrymander’ was coined over 200 years ago to describe political manipulation in legislative map-making, indicating its long-standing presence in American politics.
In many states, the state legislature is responsible for drawing congressional districts, which must be redrawn every 10 years after each census to ensure balanced populations.
Gerrymandering occurs when a political party in control of the legislature and governor's office manipulates district maps to maximize electoral advantages.
Common methods of gerrymandering include packing voters of the opposing party into fewer districts or diluting their power by spreading them across multiple districts.
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