Dems Get More Votes Republicans Get More Seats What Can We Do About Gerrymandering

[SeaDoo77]

God, I want to know.

We won state seats by 10% in Virginia, and still are behind in legislature 51 to 49.

This is not democratic.

What can we do?

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/06/27/ratfcked-the-influence-of-redistricting

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ratf-ked-david-daley/1123515748#/

[Irish_Dem]

1. We have to secure our voting system and process that has been corrupted by the GOP. nt

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Take to court constantly...violates 1 man 1 vote or right to representation being taken away...

[Freethinker65]

3. Slowly win back seats against all odds to have enough to redraw the maps.

I do not have much faith in the courts. Hope I am wrong.

[GaryCnf]

4. I am not trying to minimize the anti-democratic charade

that is Republican redistricting

BUT

So long as turnout is as low as it is in US elections, gerrymandering can ALWAYS be overcome increasing turnout among demographics which vote solidly Democratic.

[Orange Free State]

6. Unfortunately

due to packed districts, high turnout only means that Democratic reps in safe districts will win by larger margins but the total numbers in the house won’t reflect the popular vote.
If the court cases currently being decided fail, then the only ones who could change things are the ones who benefit from them being the way they are. Remember that there is no constitutional guarantee that the party breakdown of house seats will reflect the sum of the votes.
In Pennsylvania a few years ago, there was a Republican proposal to have the electoral,votes go with the House districts. In that case, if you Gerrymander the districts, you Gerrymander the electoral votes.

I don’t know why the media talks so much about the Kardashians and so little about Gerrymandering.

In other countries, if the ballot fails then the bullet is used. Will it come to that in the US? It may, eventually.

[GaryCnf]

7. I think the numbers from Virginia suggest otherwise

They show a 10% disparity between popular vote and "electoral representation" (yes, the pun is intended). If the districts were as heavily gerrymandered as you suggest, that disparity would be much higher.

[Orange Free State]

10. I was thinking Pennsylvania, where I live

And it is extremely Gerrymandered. We have two major metropolitan areas that vote Democratic, and the rest is Red Wastelandia. Easy to chop things up to their advantage in our state, don’t know about Virginia.

[GaryCnf]

11. Fair point

[Wounded Bear]

5. Good things are happening, although slowly...

The lawsuit in North Carolina has decreed for re-districting. Lawsuits are pending in other states. I live in a state where the process is fairly rational, and we are overall a blue state, though we do have Repubs. But we recently flipped our state senate from red to blue in a special election.

Dems are expanding into red districts and expanding GOTV efforts all over. That is how the VA vote was swung and almost successful. That was how the Alabama Senate Seat was flipped, massive GOTV efforts. IIRC virtually all House seats have Dem challengers this cycle. Can't win if you don't run.

Repubs are losing heart and bailing out of the Congress in record numbers. I hope they all enjoy the time with their families, and that we can flip most or all of those seats.

It may seem hopeless, but progress has been made, and we have to maintain the work and the pressure. We need a long term solution, built on solid democratic principles.

[GaryCnf]

8. Yes, both on the ground and, so far, in the courts. n/t

[theaocp]

9. Heres what were doing in Michigan.

http://www.votersnotpoliticians.com

[mitch96]

12. There is a computer program to do the redistricting for you

You could use it to see if there is any strange wiggle lines in the district...
http://autoredistrict.org
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-mathematicians-who-want-to-save-democracy/
https://priceonomics.com/algorithm-the-unfairness-of-gerrymandering/

The rethughs would hate it cause it would take their little games out of winning elections..
m