While technology has curtailed gerrymandering in the United States there are still significant loopholes. This article by Harry Stevens published by The Washington Post explores this situation. Here is an excerpt:
After the release of the 2020 Census, legislatures across the country redrew their states’ congressional district maps, just like they do every decade. And, just like every decade, aggrieved citizens sued them for gerrymandering — the process whereby politicians craft district boundaries to ensure their own parties’ victory.
But this time around, something has changed. A technological revolution, decades in the making, has added a sharp new arrow to those citizens’ quiver of legal arguments. Known as algorithmic redistricting, the technology has persuaded judges to throw out gerrymandered maps in several states, including New York and Ohio. And it will be part of a case before the Supreme Court in October that could play a role in the 2024 election and the future of voting rights.
Here is how it works
The governor of your state, who is from the Yellow Party, has approved the state legislature’s plan that packs lots of Purple Party-leaning voters into a single district. The plan fulfills the requirement, followed by every state, that each district has the same number of people as all the others. Still, it results in a map that skews the partisan balance of your state in favor of the governor’s party.
Read the full article here. Also see related Democracy Chronicles articles like those on Redistricting, Election History, or even seen our section on American Democracy.
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