Gerrymandering

In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is the political manipulation of legislative boundaries for partisan or incumbency-protection purposes. It is one of the oldest political expressions, traceable to the early days of the Republic, and still in current use. At various times, gerrymandering has been used to exclude and include racial minorities in the electoral processes. Following the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and subsequent court decisions, gerrymandering has been used to create majority-minority districts. These are political districts in which members of a racial or ethnic minority (as opposed to white Non-Hispanic) make up an effective voting majority. This gives them the ability to participate and elect representatives of their own choosing, and has been the solution of choice in situations where there is, or could be, racial or ethnic vote dilution. In this sense, gerrymandering concur to improve the ability of minority voters to elect a candidate of their choice in a particular district, increasing their power of representation and helping to create a greater multicultural America.