Gerrymandering: Everything You Need to Know in 60 Seconds

Gerrymandering: Everything You Need to Know in 60 Seconds
Image generated by IVN staff.
Published: 31 May, 2017
2 min read

There are several ways the Republican and Democratic Parties manipulate the vote and control elections. They control the narrative, who gets to vote in primary elections, and redraw electoral districts to their favor.

The last point is the subject of a recent video put out by GOOD Magazine. The video explains gerrymandering for viewers in 60 seconds. One of the most important takeaways about gerrymandering: it's legal.

That's right. For decades the Republican and Democratic Parties have manipulated electoral districts, diluted the voting power of the political minority, and disenfranchised millions of voters, and the courts have let it slide as long as the parties can show they did not discriminate against voters based on race.

'Two Parties, One Winner' Shouldn't Override 'One Person, One Vote'

It was not until 2016 that the first federal court ruled electoral districts in a state were so partisan that it constituted a gerrymander. The case? Gill v. Whitford out of Wisconsin, and it is currently on deck before the Supreme Court. It's a case you should know about. Here's why:

  • Gill v. Whitford is the first time the courts have ruled that partisan gerrymandering was so extreme that it violated voting rights.
  • The case also has the potential for establishing a baseline for the courts to make future rulings on the issue, striking a blow to the two-party scheme.
  • The Supreme Court has historically shied away from cases like this, ruling in 2004 that it has no measurable or judicial standard to determine what constitutes "too partisan" when lawmakers redraw electoral districts. This could change all of that. (Vieth v. Jubelirer)
  • The Supreme Court will consider a request from Wisconsin officials on Thursday, June 8, to put a stay on a lower court's ruling that state lawmakers redraw their electoral maps by the fall.

Gerrymandering isn't the only scheme the parties use to control elections, but it has ensured that over 90 percent of elections are safe for one party or the other, while violating the voting rights of millions of voters.

In this article

You Might Also Like

Tony Evers’ Final Mission as Governor: End Partisan Gerrymandering for Good
Tony Evers’ Final Mission as Governor: End Partisan Gerrymandering for Good
In his 2026 State of the State address, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced that he plans to call a special state legislative session in the Spring to put an end to partisan gerrymandering “once and for all.” And he will keep calling lawmakers into session until happens....
24 Feb, 2026
-
4 min read
81% of Americans Say Money Controls Politics – Can a Constitutional Amendment Fix It?
81% of Americans Say Money Controls Politics – Can a Constitutional Amendment Fix It?
Polls consistently show that nearly all Americans across the political spectrum agree that there is too much money in politics – whether from foreign sources, corporations, or so-called “dark money” groups. ...
23 Feb, 2026
-
13 min read
83% Want Voter ID - So Why Is Congress Fighting It? SAVE Act Explained
83% Want Voter ID - So Why Is Congress Fighting It? SAVE Act Explained
Throughout this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, the central theme remains clear: Americans broadly support common-sense reforms to strengthen election integrity and government accountability, but partisan strategy and fundraising incentives continue to stall meaningful change....
16 Feb, 2026
-
2 min read
Why Neither Side Wants the Truth About Voter ID
Why Neither Side Wants the Truth About Voter ID
Voter ID is treated like a five-alarm fire in American politics. That reaction says more about our dysfunctional political system than it does about voter ID itself. ...
06 Feb, 2026
-
3 min read
Oklahoma Independents Drive Massive Push to Open Primaries With State Question 836
Oklahoma Independents Drive Massive Push to Open Primaries With State Question 836
While much of the U.S. was slammed with severe winter weather over the weekend, volunteers for Oklahoma State Question 836 – which would end the use of taxpayer-funded closed primaries – made a final push to get their campaign to over 200,000 petition signatures....
27 Jan, 2026
-
3 min read
NEW POLL: California Governor’s Race Sees “None of the Above” Beat the Entire Democratic Field
NEW POLL: California Governor’s Race Sees “None of the Above” Beat the Entire Democratic Field
A new statewide poll conducted by the Independent Voter Project finds California’s independent voters overwhelmingly support the state’s nonpartisan primary system and express broad dissatisfaction with the direction of state politics....
12 Jan, 2026
-
4 min read