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Sploosh (lemmy.world)
submitted 6 days ago by to c/politicalmemes@lemmy.world
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[–] 1 point 5 days ago (2 children)

It's a bit tricky to understand, and to explain. But, if you don't understand it, you think it's just a way of ensuring that you get more R districts.

IMO, it's important to know how it can backfire if you underestimate the number of R voters you need to add to the D districts to flip them.

Anyhow, I hope that one result of this election is that more places go with laws to ensure gerrymandering can't happen. It's absolutely bullshit that parties get to draw districts to pick the voters they want. There are some places (Minnesota?) that have non-partisan commissions that draw the maps. That's how it should be done.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 days ago (1 child)

    We've got non-partisan maps in CO as well, but we actually got rid of them as a reaction to the gerrymandering Repubs were doing in Texas and other states. It really needs to be fixed at a national level - since a state by state solution is basically like the honor system.

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  • [–] 2 points 5 days ago

    since a state by state solution is basically like the honor system.

    One of the strengths and also weaknesses of the US system is that states handle their own elections. If there's a problem with how elections are run, at least it doesn't become national. OTOH, you have things like this, where a state can decide to do the right thing, but another state can be dishonest and gerrymander for one party.

    I wonder if there's a solution you can do where it's the honour system backed up by a nuclear option if other states don't follow the rules. Like, say that an electoral commission should create 3 maps, one gerrymandered for Ds, one gerrymandered for Rs, and one fair one. If other states play fair, the fair one will be used. If any state defects and gerrymanders to favour one party, then the map that combats that gerrymandering goes into effect.

    It could be really effective if a bunch of states band together and say that they will all issue fair maps, but they all agree to switch in case another state doesn't play fair. That way you could have something like the Republicans gerrymandering Texas, or the Democrats gerrymandering California, and either way this defensive pact is activated. Maybe by doing it this way, you could even get typically Republican states to enter the pact.

    The tough part then is proving that another state is gerrymandering to favour a specific party, and deciding if that crosses the threshold. But, at least it's not just the honour system.

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