The majority of southern states re-drew districts to maximize the electoral advantage for the Democratic Party (which most white southern voters supported at the time), over the Republican Party (which most Black voters supported). After the Civil War and during the Reconstruction era, black men won the right to vote, and gerrymandering went into 5 th gear. This practice continued across the pond to the colonies in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, where Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina drew districts that benefited certain candidates. In 18th-century England, political organizations created “rotten boroughs” that allowed only certain voters to cast ballots, making it easy for politicians to buy votes and gain Parliament seats.
The practice of manipulating voting districts to secure political power has a long, sordid history. Gerrymandering gives Republicans a clear advantage, and although redistricting is not just limited to red states, recent re-drawing of districts has raised concerns that minority, Hispanic, and voters of color will get sidelined even though they are emerging as a larger share of the US population. This fact is making Democrats very nervous for 20.
This is in comparison to 75 Democrat-influenced seats. The most alarming fact about the recent spate of redistricting legislation is that Republicans hold power in enough states to control the redistricting process for 187 of the US House’s 435 seats. One proposed redistricting map for New Mexico places Senate District 30 along the state’s western border that would extend into rural Catron County, a heavily Republican area. Here in the Land of Enchantment, legislators, this week delayed a vote on a redistricting bill that would help protect two Republican senators but leave one predominantly populated Native American district at a disadvantage. But it’s not just the Republicans, the Illinois redistricting map gives Democrats control of 14 of the state’s 17 seats. In Ohio, the final district map for the Cincinnati metro area split its diverse suburbs in Hamilton County into three different districts, lumping urban and mostly Democratic voters with more rural, conservative voters. For example, in North Carolina, the Republican-dominated legislature enacted redistricting laws that ignored minority data. GOP state legislators control much more of the redistricting process than Democrats, and in anticipation of the 2022 midterms, Republicans have moved to secure a political advantage. But as our country becomes increasingly polarized, the process has become a partisan fistfight as lawmakers in both the GOP and the Democratic Party seek to gain political advantages in many states. Redistricting has always been a part of the political process, and adjusts political lines for population growth and to ensure equal representation of voters. It’s no secret that changing demographics and voting rights are at the forefront of recent battles all across the country to redraw US congressional districts. According to the census, the multiracial population grew the fastest among other groups over the past decade, with a 276% increase. The Hispanic population grew by 23%, the Asian population by 35%, and the African American population by 5.6%. Although whites are still the largest group in the nation, it did shrink by 8.6% from 2010-2020. For the first time in history, Asian and multiracial communities grew rapidly, while the white population declined. 2021 Census data shows that the US has increasingly grown more diverse over the past 10 years.