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Congressional RedistrictingCongressional redistricting is the process by which states redraw electoral district boundaries that determine representation in the US House of Representatives. The Constitution, federal law, and court rulings require districts to have roughly equal populations, be geographically contiguous, and avoid discrimination against racial or language minorities. For most of American history, redistricting has followed a predictable cycle, occurring every 10 years after the census.
Gerrymandering is the deliberate manipulation of district boundaries to advantage one political party. Common tactics by both major American political parties include packing opposition voters into a small number of districts and cracking them across many districts to dilute their influence. Enabled by detailed voter data and advanced mapping software, modern gerrymandering can extend down to individual streets or blocks. Most scholars agree that it weakens democratic accountability by reducing competition and insulating incumbents.
The practice dates back to the beginning of the American republic but was constrained during the Civil Rights era, particularly after the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Court decisions and technological advances have since reduced many of those constraints.
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Independent redistricting commissions aim to take politics out of the map-drawing processIn several states, citizen or bipartisan panels draw congressional and legislative districts based on neutral criteria like population and geography. Learn more about how these commissions increase competitiveness in elections. Campaign Legal CenterThere were fewer competitive districts in 2022 than at any point since 1970Analysts reported that the 2022 midterms featured the lowest share of competitive congressional districts since 1970, reflecting how modern redistricting has increasingly produced safe seats and reduced voter choice. Brennan CenterIn 2025, Democratic-led states moved to counter with their own redistricting plansIn response to Republican mid-decade redistricting efforts, Democratic leaders in California, New York, Illinois, and Maryland signaled plans to revisit their own congressional maps. TIMERepublicans launched a mid-decade redistricting push in 2025Beginning in Texas, Republican-controlled legislatures in Missouri, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina moved to redraw maps before 2030—an uncommon mid-decade effort aimed at securing additional congressional seats. Harvard UniversityTrack the unusual push for mid-decade redistricting across the USThe National Conference of State Legislatures maintains a live tracker showing where mid-decade congressional redistricting is underway, detailing which states are pursuing new maps, the legislative and constitutional methods being used, and how courts are responding as the 2026 elections approach. National Conference of State LegislaturesSee the most oddly gerrymandered districts in the USBased on input from redistricting experts and political scientists, this resource identifies and ranks the most extreme congressional gerrymanders of the 2020s, examining how map design, cracking, and packing reduce competition and distort representation across states. The FulcrumRedistricting reshapes political boundaries, usually once a decade after the censusEvery 10 years, states redraw congressional and legislative districts based on census data to ensure equal population. Legislatures usually control the process, though some states use independent commissions to curb partisan influence. CBS News
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