Legal Definitions - political gerrymandering

Political gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral district boundaries in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage over another in elections. This manipulation of district lines is done with the specific intent of maximizing the number of seats a particular party wins, often by concentrating opposing party voters into a few districts (known as "packing") or by spreading them thinly across many districts to dilute their voting power (known as "cracking").

• Example 1: Concentrating Opposition Voters (Packing)

  Imagine a state where the legislature is controlled by the "Blue Party." During redistricting, they redraw the map for a region that historically has a roughly even split between Blue and Red Party voters. The Blue Party strategists identify several neighborhoods that are strongholds for the Red Party. They then draw one district boundary that encompasses nearly all these Red Party-leaning neighborhoods, creating a district where Red Party voters make up an overwhelming majority (e.g., 80%). While the Red Party is almost guaranteed to win this one district, their votes in this district are "wasted" beyond what's needed for a simple majority. Simultaneously, the Blue Party draws the surrounding districts to include fewer Red Party voters, making those districts safely Blue. This strategy "packs" Red Party voters into one district, reducing their influence in other districts and allowing the Blue Party to win more seats overall.

• Example 2: Diluting Opposition Voters (Cracking)

  Consider a scenario where the "Green Party" controls a state's redistricting process. There's a particular city that consistently votes for the "Orange Party." Instead of creating one or two districts entirely within this city, which the Orange Party would likely win, the Green Party draws several oddly shaped districts that snake out from the city. Each of these new districts includes only a portion of the Orange Party-leaning city voters, combining them with a larger number of Green Party voters from surrounding suburban or rural areas. This effectively "cracks" the Orange Party's voting bloc, preventing them from forming a majority in any single district and thereby diluting their ability to elect their preferred candidates.

• Example 3: Protecting Incumbents and Partisan Advantage

  In a state where the "Purple Party" holds a slim majority in the legislature, they are tasked with redrawing congressional districts. An incumbent Purple Party representative has a strong base in a specific cluster of towns. To ensure this representative's re-election and maintain their party's majority, the redistricting committee draws a district boundary that meticulously includes all of these Purple Party-leaning towns, while strategically excluding neighboring towns that tend to vote for the "Yellow Party." The district lines might follow irregular paths, such as winding around a lake or along a highway, to achieve this precise partisan composition. This ensures a safe seat for the Purple Party incumbent, reinforcing the party's overall electoral advantage.