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New gerrymander weapon
Partisan map-makers are considering not just voter registration but planning and zoning data to decide how new congressional districts can be drawn to help or hurt their candidates not just now but in the future.
Why it matters: High technology and the "big sort" of like-minded voters grouping together can make gerrymandering less conspicuous this year — even if it still exists.
What we're hearing: In Texas, Republicans added vacant lots to Democratic districts, expecting them to turn into high-density housing areas over the next decade, David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report told Axios.
* That urban-style housing is more likely to attract Democratic voters, so Republicans want to keep them clustered in one place.
* Such nonpolitical analysis also allows parties "to forecast how their gerrymanders will perform over time," he said.
https://www.axios.com/technology-redistricting-gerrymandering-2022-election-ba54d892-f46f-4f0f-b119-4731099929c2.html
Why it matters: High technology and the "big sort" of like-minded voters grouping together can make gerrymandering less conspicuous this year — even if it still exists.
What we're hearing: In Texas, Republicans added vacant lots to Democratic districts, expecting them to turn into high-density housing areas over the next decade, David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report told Axios.
* That urban-style housing is more likely to attract Democratic voters, so Republicans want to keep them clustered in one place.
* Such nonpolitical analysis also allows parties "to forecast how their gerrymanders will perform over time," he said.
https://www.axios.com/technology-redistricting-gerrymandering-2022-election-ba54d892-f46f-4f0f-b119-4731099929c2.html
Solid analysis. The final point ("Technology isn't the only reason"
is particularly enlightening.