How a Lizard Changed Politics
Redistricting is a backroom process
Maps are pretty much obsolete. You might be able to buy one of the last ones at a local gas station. People use their smartphones and Google Maps instead.
But there is one place where mapping is still used. It’s very important in the upcoming US election.
Republications know how important the right map can be and they’re working behind the scenes to create an advantage in their states.
We don’t often get to see what’s happening behind the scenes.
In the Wizard of Oz, Toto revealed the Wizard’s true identity by knocking over a screen that was supposed to hide him from his subjects.
Up until that moment, the Wizard was using technology to manipulate how the characters in the story saw him.
When he was revealed, he faked his way through the next part. He pretended to grant wishes to the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow. Then he left Dorothy in the lurch.
Sometimes what goes on behind the scenes matters more than what we see.
Usually, when a government is overthrown, it’s a visible coup. The leader is removed from power by force.
Redistricting is much more subtle.
In the US, lines on a map determine the number of voters and seats in congressional districts.
The way a district is drawn determines who is in or out of a district. Right now, political parties are choosing their voters by drawing districts that include voters from their parties.
Isn't that Gerrymandering?
You’ve got it. They’re the same thing. Political gerrymandering is when a political party controls redistricting. They decide where to draw the lines on the map so they can gain dominance over another party.
What is the line between permissible and impermissible partisan considerations when drawing a map? No one really knows.
People add to the problem. We gather in groups with people who think the same way as ourselves.
When voters move into an area where their friends and neighbors believe in the same things and vote the same way, it makes it easier to gerrymander a district.
If we could mix it up, the politicians would have a much harder time redistricting.
Gerrymandering has a long history
It started in 1812 with a Democrat named Gerry and a map that looked like a salamander.
“The district depicted in the cartoon was created by Massachusetts legislature to favor the incumbent Democratic-Republican party candidates of Governor Elbridge Gerry over the Federalists in 1812.” Wikipedia
Biden is facing a serious problem in the US. He’s trying to support voting rights, but many of the states are taking steps to ensure Republicans will control the votes in the next election.
Republican states have been redistricting their states, allowing Republicans more seats, and allowing them certain wins.
They have been eliminating voting sites to restrict voter access in areas with no public transportation options.
They’ve created new laws allowing partisan actors who are not part of the election administration process to access and review ballots and other materials.
Some states have even created new law enforcement offices to investigate election crimes and they’re allowing audits or reviews of election results by state-appointed officials.
“There are partisan gerrymandering cases in Alaska, Nevada, Maryland, and New Jersey, and racial gerrymandering cases in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, and South Carolina, according to the Brennan Center.” CBS News.
Equality before the law means nothing now for the people living there.
Now you understand redistricting and how certain states are passing laws to make it difficult for you to vote. The question is, what are you going to do about it?
My newsletter is free for anyone. I send it weekly, most of the time. If you also want to receive it, join the thousands of smart people who enjoy it today.
Sources: MSNBC, Brennan Center, CNN politics, CBS News
Great article. Ohio this year is attempting to take it out of the hands of the politicians. We are voting on an amendment that would put it in the hands of non-politicians.