Gerrymandering Simulator
See how district boundaries can change election outcomes. Toggle between compact and gerrymandered districting on an 8x8 grid of voters.
| Party | Seats (Compact) | Seats (Gerrymandered) |
|---|---|---|
| Red | 0 | 0 |
| Blue | 0 | 0 |
Understanding Redistricting
How district boundaries shape political power.
Compact Districts
Compact districts follow natural geographic boundaries and create competitive races where the will of voters is more accurately reflected in seat counts.
Gerrymandered Districts
Gerrymandered districts are carefully drawn to concentrate or dilute voting blocs, allowing a minority party to win a majority of seats.
Fair Representation
The goal of fair districting is proportional representation: the percentage of seats a party wins should roughly match its share of the popular vote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about gerrymandering and redistricting.
Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral district boundaries to give one political party or group an advantage over others, often resulting in oddly shaped districts that split communities.
By strategically grouping voters, gerrymandering can allow a party with minority overall support to win a majority of seats, effectively predetermining election outcomes before any votes are cast.
Compact districts are drawn with minimal boundary length and respect natural geography and communities. Gerrymandered districts intentionally split communities to group or scatter voters for partisan advantage.
Racial gerrymandering is illegal under the Voting Rights Act. Partisan gerrymandering is legal in most states, though some states have independent redistricting commissions to prevent it.
Independent redistricting commissions, algorithmic district drawing, multi-member districts, and ranked-choice voting are all proposed solutions to reduce the impact of gerrymandering.