Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
Every ten 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.
“Gerrymandering” arose when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry approved a state senate map with a district so contorted it resembled a salamander. Critics dubbed it the “Gerry-mander,” cementing the term for partisan map manipulation.
Cracking and packing are gerrymandering techniques. Cracking splits opposing voters across districts, diluting their power. Packing concentrates their votes into a few districts, wasting them in overwhelming, unnecessary majorities for one party.
This podcast explored whether courts can rein in partisan map-drawing, focusing on North Carolina’s 2023 redistricting battle, the Moore v. Harper case, and the controversial “independent state legislature” theory.
Several districts stand out for extreme shapes—like Illinois’ 4th and Maryland’s 3rd, often called the most contorted in the nation.
The 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 legal justifications cited, and how courts are responding as the 2026 elections approach.
States have generally redrawn districts only once per decade following the census, with mid-decade redistricting occurring infrequently and usually prompted by court orders or unusual political circumstances.
Beginning in Texas, Republican-led states, including Missouri, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Nebraska, moved to redraw maps before 2030—an uncommon mid-decade effort aimed at securing additional congressional seats.
In response to Republican mid-decade redistricting efforts, Democratic leaders in California, New York, Illinois, and Maryland signaled plans to revisit their own congressional maps.
This podcast episode examines Baker v. Carr, a landmark redistricting ruling that Earl Warren called the most important of his tenure—so divisive it triggered a justice’s breakdown and permanently reshaped American democracy.