What is gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering is the process of dividing an area into voting districts that are designed to favor one political party over another. It is a tool used to gain an electoral advantage, usually favoring the party in power. In Massachusetts, gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral district lines so that one party can gain a political advantage over another. This is done by manipulating the boundaries of a district to create a higher concentration of voters who are likely to support the desired party. For example, a district could be drawn with a majority of Democratic voters, giving that party an advantage in the election that they otherwise would not have had. Gerrymandering is widely regarded as an unethical practice, as it undermines the fairness of an election and gives one party an unfair advantage. It can also undermine the representation of certain groups, like racial or religious minorities, by diluting their voting power. In Massachusetts, action has been taken to reduce the potential for gerrymandering by creating independent bodies to draw electoral districts. These bodies utilize criteria such as population, compactness of districts, and preexisting political boundaries to draw district maps.

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What is gerrymandering?

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