Gerrymandering has existed at least since Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry reluctantly signed a bill in 1812 to allow for a partisan alteration of the electoral map in Boston.
Ideally, it would be great if redistricting was unnecessary except for after a census, and it was carried out by nonpartisan election commissions. Redistricting would be transparently drawn out to reflect evolving population shifts in particular districts to better represent the voters. The tit for tat between Governors Abbott and Newsom is more like politicians disenfranchising the voters.
The Democrats claim that they are defending democracy by redrawing the maps in blue states, yet it sounds like they are defending hypocrisy. They have been gaining an unfair voting advantage for decades, yet they rail against the GOP for playing catch up in red states. This is similar to the pot calling the kettle black.
If House members would represent the will of the people and implement common sense policies, they wouldn’t need to utilize gerrymandering to tilt the scales against their political opponents during elections.
Christian Milord, Fullerton
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