Legal Definitions - gerrymander

Gerrymander refers to the practice of drawing the boundaries of electoral districts in a way that gives one political party or group an unfair advantage over another. This manipulation of district lines is often done to concentrate the voting power of one group or dilute the voting power of another, thereby influencing election outcomes. A common visual result of gerrymandering is districts with unusual, contorted, or "bizarre" shapes.

While the goal is always to gain political advantage, it's important to distinguish between different types:

• Political gerrymandering aims to favor one political party over another. In the United States, the Supreme Court has ruled that federal courts generally cannot hear challenges to political gerrymandering.
• Racial gerrymandering occurs when district lines are drawn specifically to dilute the voting power of a racial minority group. This practice is illegal under federal law, specifically the Voting Rights Act, and can be challenged in court.

Here are some examples illustrating how gerrymandering works:

• Example 1: Packing Opposing Voters

  Imagine a state legislature controlled by Party A. To secure more seats, they might draw a district that snakes through several different towns and neighborhoods, specifically connecting areas known to heavily favor Party B. This creates one district where Party B wins by an overwhelming margin, effectively "packing" most of their voters into a single district. While Party B wins that one seat easily, their concentrated votes are removed from surrounding districts, making it much easier for Party A candidates to win in those adjacent areas.

• Example 2: Cracking a Stronghold

  Consider a large city that consistently votes for Party X. If the state legislature is controlled by Party Y, they might "crack" this city into three or four different electoral districts. Each new district would combine a small portion of the city with a much larger, predominantly rural or suburban area that strongly supports Party Y. By spreading the city's voters across multiple districts where they are outnumbered, Party Y dilutes Party X's voting power, preventing Party X from winning any of those seats, even though they have strong support within the city itself.

• Example 3: Protecting an Incumbent

  A state might have a long-serving representative from Party Z who lives in a particular neighborhood. When new district maps are drawn, the mapmakers might create an unusually shaped district boundary that specifically encompasses that representative's neighborhood and other areas known to be strongholds for Party Z, while carefully excluding nearby areas that might lean towards an opposing party. This ensures the incumbent representative has a safe district, making it very difficult for challengers to unseat them, even if it results in a district with an awkward, non-compact shape.