Ask just about anyone — left, right, or center — and they’ll tell you gerrymandering is a problem. Most Americans agree that politicians shouldn’t get to pick their voters. Yet decade after decade, gerrymandering persists, warping representation and eroding trust in our democracy. So why hasn’t it been thrown into the dustbin of history?
The answer is both simple and deeply frustrating: the people who have the power to eliminate gerrymandering are the ones who benefit from it most.
The Vicious Self-Preservation Loop
In most states, political maps are drawn by state legislatures. Whichever party is in power at the time of redistricting (usually every 10 years after the Census) has the ability to draw district lines in ways that protect their incumbents, punish their opponents, and dilute the power of voters who disagree with them.
This process results in oddly shaped, illogical districts crafted not to reflect communities, but to engineer political outcomes. The consequences?
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Noncompetitive elections where incumbents win easily.
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Extreme partisanship because safe districts reward the loudest ideologues, not consensus-builders.
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Voter apathy from people who feel their vote doesn’t matter.
The Courts Shrug, Democracy Suffers
You might think this kind of manipulation would be unconstitutional. Doesn’t it violate equal representation?
In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Rucho v. Common Cause, ruling that partisan gerrymandering is a "political question" and not something federal courts can stop. That closed a critical legal path to fair maps — and punted the problem back to the states.
By the way...
What is a Dummymander?
A dummymander is a gerrymander that backfires — a district map drawn to give one party an advantage, but which ends up accidentally helping the opposition due to unexpected voter shifts, demographic changes, or overconfidence.
How It Happens:
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Overreach: The party in power spreads its voters too thin across many districts trying to win more seats, but then loses competitive ones they thought were safe.
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Population Shifts: Demographics change faster than anticipated, especially in urban/suburban areas.
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Voter Backlash: An aggressive gerrymander can spark turnout among opposition voters.
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Legal Challenges: Courts sometimes strike down maps, forcing new ones that are less favorable.
Notable Examples:
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Texas, 2012: Republicans drew aggressive maps after 2010, but underestimated Latino and Democratic voter growth, leading to lost seats they expected to hold.
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North Carolina, multiple cycles: GOP-drawn maps led to lawsuits and forced redraws that gave Democrats better outcomes than anticipated.
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Ohio, 2022: Maps were ruled unconstitutional multiple times; voter frustration and chaos gave rise to stronger reform movements.
Why It Matters:
There Are Bright Spots: Independent Commissions
Some states have made bold moves to break the cycle. States like California, Michigan, Arizona, and Colorado have adopted independent redistricting commissions, removing map-drawing power from politicians altogether. These reforms have led to fairer maps, more competitive elections, and increased trust in the process.
Unfortunately, most states still allow politicians to draw their own maps — and not all of them allow citizen ballot initiatives to change that.
Jamie Raskin and Allies Are Fighting for Change
Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a constitutional scholar and prominent advocate for democracy, has been working alongside reformers like John Sarbanes, Amy Klobuchar, and others to introduce federal legislation that would ban gerrymandering outright.
Key bills like the For the People Act and the Freedom to Vote Act would:
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Mandate independent redistricting commissions in every state.
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Ban partisan gerrymandering by setting national standards.
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Increase transparency and public input.
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Allow court enforcement when maps are rigged.
Raskin has argued forcefully that democracy cannot survive if elections are rigged at the map stage. But despite these bills passing the House multiple times, they’ve been blocked in the Senate — mostly by filibuster and unified Republican opposition. Some moderate Democrats have also resisted changing the rules to pass them.
Still, Raskin and his allies have pushed the debate into public consciousness, rallying voters and showing that the system can be reformed — if we demand it.
What You Can Do
If you hate gerrymandering (and you should), here’s how to help end it:
✅ Know Your State’s System
Does your state allow gerrymandering? Does it have a ballot initiative process? Learn who draws the maps — and how they can be changed.
✅ Support Reformers Like Jamie Raskin
Back lawmakers who support redistricting reform. Call your senators and urge them to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and eliminate the filibuster roadblock.
✅ Join or Donate to Pro-Democracy Groups
Organizations like Common Cause, RepresentUs, League of Women Voters, and FairVote are leading the charge.
✅ Educate and Agitate
Most Americans hate gerrymandering — but many don’t know it can actually be stopped. Talk about it. Write about it. Show how it’s connected to gridlock, extremism, and voter frustration.
✅ Vote in State Elections
Your state legislature may be the very body drawing the maps. If they’re abusing that power, vote them out — or flip just one chamber to force reform.
Bottom Line
Gerrymandering is a cancer on American democracy — a quiet, systemic theft of representation. The majority of Americans know it’s wrong. Reformers like Jamie Raskin are offering a cure. But unless we act — loudly, persistently, and locally — those profiting from the system will never let it go.
We say we believe in government by the people. It’s time to prove it — and demand fair maps for every voter.
Compiled with aid of ChatGPT
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