'Putin-style democracy': how Republicans gerrymander the map
Tom McCarthy
@TeeMcSee
Sun 11 Apr 2021 02.00 EDT
With red states set to gain seats, the GOP is ready to disadvantage Democrats and deliver the US House
Tom McCarthy
@TeeMcSee
Sun 11 Apr 2021 02.00 EDT
Republicans believe they have a great chance to win control of the US House of Representatives in 2022, needing a swing of about six seats to depose Nancy Pelosi as speaker and derail Joe Biden’s agenda.
To help themselves over the top, they are advancing voter suppression laws in almost every state, hoping to minimize Democratic turnout.
But Republicans are also preparing another, arguably more powerful tool, which experts believe could let them take control of the House without winning a single vote beyond their 2020 tally, or for that matter blocking a single Democratic voter.
That tool is redistricting – the redrawing of congressional boundaries, undertaken once every 10 years – and Republicans have unilateral control of it in a critical number of states.
more
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/11/putin-style-democracy-republicans-gerrymandering-electoral-map-democrats-census
= new reply since forum marked as read
After the 2010 census PA was redistricted as always, however the Repukes controlled the state legislature. Repukes made sure the revised mapping favored them and R incumbents where they could get away with it. Do I need to tell you what happened? I'm sure you can guess.
Even though the Pennsylvania voters are registered almost evenly 50% R and 50% D, suddenly the congressional districts of PA started electing heavy numbers of Repukes after redistricting. Do you think it was gerrymandering? You can bet on it. It took 8 years to fight the redistricting including several PA Supreme Court rulings. Finally in 2018 the Repuke-friendly maps were struck down and new fairly-drawn maps were enacted in time for the 2018 election.
Democrats must always be vigilant, because the Repukes will cheat whenever they can. We cannot let our guard down ever. Don't give them the chance because they will take it.
