What is gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering is a political process used by state governments in the United States to manipulate electoral district boundaries. It is a way of redrawing voting districts so that a political party in power can maintain an advantage over opponents in elections. It is commonly used by state legislatures with the majority party redrawing districts to increase their party’s chances of winning. So, what exactly is gerrymandering? Generally, it begins with legislators from a political party making plans to gain an advantage, create a “safe seat” for their party, or reduce the number of seats held by the opposing party. First, they draw the boundaries of voting districts in order to include certain neighborhoods or towns. They may “pack” certain districts with a “surplus” of their opponents’ voters into a few districts so that their opponent cannot win any seats; or they may “crack” certain districts by drawing the lines in order to divide their opponents’ base of support so that they cannot win any seats. Gerrymandering has the potential to limit the voices of voters who are in the minority party, thereby diluting their voting power. In Washington, gerrymandering is illegal, and the state has adopted rules that guide redistricting. The rules require districts to be compact with clearly defined boundaries, communities must be kept together through boundaries, and districts must conform to federal laws.

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What is gerrymandering?

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