gerrymandering

noun

ger·​ry·​man·​der·​ing ˈjer-ē-ˌman-d(ə-)riŋ 

 also  ˈger-;

 originally  ˈger-

: the practice of dividing or arranging a territorial unit into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections

To an untrained eye, the proposed boundaries look like the etchings of a mapmaker on heavy pharmaceuticals. In reality, it's a masterpiece of diabolical gerrymandering.

—Carl Hiaasen

Bipartisan gerrymandering following the 2000 reapportionment produced hundreds of safe Democratic seats, hundreds of safe Republican seats, and not much else.

—Peter Beinart

compare cracking, packing

Examples of gerrymandering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Porter notes that mathematicians have had success using sophisticated mathematical techniques to quantify gerrymandering, the deliberate skewing of legislative districts. —Lyndie Chiou, WIRED, 21 Apr. 2024

The state’s 52-member delegation is the largest in the nation, and California’s independent redistricting process replaced the prior gerrymandering that created safe districts for both parties, resulting in more competitive races. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

Nevertheless, there is strong evidence that independent commissions do reduce gerrymandering overall. —TIME, 1 Apr. 2024

In September, the majority of justices on the Supreme Court reaffirmed earlier rulings on how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act blocks efforts to inject racial gerrymandering tactics in creating political districts. —Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner, 20 Nov. 2023

The vast majority live in districts that historically preferred Republicans but have been drawn into districts where Democrats are favored to win, marking the beginning of a massive change to the state's political landscape after over a decade of Republican gerrymandering. —Andrew Hahn, Journal Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2024

For the same reason, courts do not annul elections later deemed to have taken place under racially discriminatory gerrymandering schemes. —David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024

Some people would argue, too, our vote with gerrymandering is also being played into here. —Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Jan. 2024

This includes gerrymandering, continuing to limit early and absentee voting, as well as restrictions at the ballot box. —Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

gerrymander entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined above