Currently, America stands divided. Voters from both sides are distrustful of our political system, and struggle to communicate with one another about ideas and political values. It is not outlandish that you may not feel heard in our political environment. Politicians take advantage of the system and pit us against one another. Rather than listen to the needs of their constituents, politicians from both sides of our two-party system have manipulated it to provide their party more power in the House. This process is called gerrymandering, and it has been happening for the past 200 years.
Gerrymandering is the process of manipulating district lines to favor one political party over another. Every ten years, following the Census, State Legislatures comprise maps of each state that divide different populations of people into districts. In theory, these districts divide up the state so that a Representative only represents a limited number of people. By representing a portion of people, a Representative can retain a more accurate voice that describes the needs of their specific community. Unfortunately, this system is manipulated to favor one political party over another in certain states and is not new. Back in the early 1800s, gerrymandering began as a way for Elbridge Gerry, VP to James Madison at the time, to create districts that favored his party overall. This same process is used today; however, in our new world of technology and systematic data-mapping, it is that much easier for governing politicians to utilize this data to construct biased district maps.
There are two distinct methods of gerrymandering. These are called cracking and packing. In an instance of cracking, State Legislatures compose maps that split up the opposition. Citizens that claim to vote for a different party are separated into many different districts so that their voice is limited. Packing has the opposite effect. Packing places all voters of the same political party in one particular district. By packing voters, the governing party of the state can surround the packed district with their opposing party, which limits the voice of the packed district overall. These methods create complex and confusing maps that substantially affect the number of party representatives from each state.
You may be thinking, why should I fill out the Census if this system is going to be used against me? Although that sentiment is valid, the Census is key for establishing the needs of a particular community. The Census measures population size, diversity, political affiliation, and many more measures that can help Legislatures acquire funding and understand the needs of their particular community. The Census itself is not the problem. The problem with district lining is the manipulation of the system, and we must hold our representatives accountable for their actions.
This is more than just a political party issue. Gerrymandering also goes hand-in-hand with voter suppression and racial oppression. In certain states, district lines are highly manipulated to compile certain ethnicities and economic statuses into one region. This can be detrimental to districts, limiting their growth and funding for improvements. It is an incredibly complex issue that only further adds to the racial component of politics today. During election season, there are many examples of certain districts with lower income or higher proportions of BIPOC with fewer polling stations, untrained workers, and faulty ballot boxes. All of these in combination only further limit BIPOC voices during elections, and undermine the phrase “every vote matters.” In certain districts, citizens have to wait in line for hours to cast their vote, just because governing politicians limit the number of polling locations in that particular district. Overall, this systematic oppression limits the number of elected officials that accurately represent the people they should be supporting. If this is new to you, this information can be demoralizing. It can even make you not want to vote, but, don’t worry, there is hope.
There are definitive ways that we can change the district lining system to more accurately represent the needs of the people. One proposed solution highlights the need to switch the system entirely: rather than elect Representatives based on specific districts, the states would allocate Representatives based off of the overall number of statewide voters for a specific party. The benefit of this idea is that it would allow for more accurate representation for the state overall. Experts have even demonstrated that a system more in tune with the overall need of each state would not necessarily put one party over another in the House, but rather, create a more diverse voice in each individual state. For instance, in California, the number of Democratic elected officials could decrease, but in a state like North Carolina, the number of Democratic Representatives could increase. This is just one example of how a change to the system would still balance the scales of political power. And more importantly, this system could create a more diverse voice from each individual state which accurately represents their needs. An issue with this solution is that district lines would still need to be drawn. District lining helps officials understand where state funding and other important necessities need to be allocated. Whether the process itself changes or not, the problem of drawing district maps can be solved with an independent, nonpartisan committee. These individuals would be elected outside of the political offices of Congress, and would be vetted to create an unbiased district map. In states like Utah and California, these ideas are already being used! Following the Census, Utah recently created a committee like this one to redistrict the community. In California, the most populated state in America, redistricting is completed by a 14-member committee of all three major parties– five Democrats, five Republicans, and four Independents. Although this system is not perfect, it is a well-intentioned step to limit political manipulation.
Federally, this issue has not seen effective action. Although many cases have been brought to the Supreme Court, in 2019, the Court decided that gerrymandering is a state issue. Since there are no defined laws in the Constitution that outline the process of district lining, the Court has limited ability to punish “excessive gerrymandering” as there are no unbiased rules to follow. Although this conclusion is frustrating, the House of Representatives can still hold themselves accountable without the use of federal power. If an elected official is elected due to excessive gerrymandering, the House is able to reject the Representative entirely. To effectively do this, the House must create a defined set of unbiased rules that subjugate elected officials to the same standard. The Court made it clear; it is up the states themselves to create a system that limits political manipulation in redistricting. However, the House is capable of holding themselves accountable and should create a system to limit the effects of this continued problem.
Do not feel hopeless! There are things that we as voters can do to help this situation, and it starts by holding your representatives accountable. That means calling, emailing, and reaching out to understand how redistricting works in your state. Does your state have a committee? How do they go about creating new districts? How will a change in district affect you and your community? These are all important questions that you can ask your Representative. Remember, these are your Representatives! They are here to listen and help you. Voicing your community's needs and concerns is essential to create a more equitable system overall. If they are not representing your community how you would like, remember that you can vote them out in November. You have a voice, let it be heard– vote, vote, vote.
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