Cracking vs Packing: How Gerrymandering Shapes Elections
Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral district boundaries to favor one political party or group over another. It can undermine the principle of fair representation and distort the outcomes of elections. In this article, we will explain two common techniques of gerrymandering: cracking and packing.
Cracking Vs Packing
What is cracking?
Cracking is when a party or group that controls the redistricting process splits its opponents' voters across multiple districts, diluting their voting power and making it harder for them to elect their preferred candidates. For example, if a city has a large minority population that tends to vote for one party, cracking could divide the city into several districts that also include rural or suburban areas that favor the other party. This way, the minority voters would be outnumbered in each district and have less influence on the election results.
What is packing?
Packing is the opposite of cracking: it is when a party or group that controls the redistricting process concentrates its opponents' voters into as few districts as possible, wasting their votes and reducing their impact on other districts. For example, if a state has several regions that lean towards one party, packing could draw a district that includes all or most of those regions, creating a safe seat for that party but leaving fewer voters for the other districts. This way, the packed voters would have little chance of affecting the outcomes of other races.
Why does gerrymandering matter?
Gerrymandering can have significant effects on the balance of power in Congress and state legislatures, as well as on the representation of different communities and interests. By cracking and packing voters, gerrymandering can create districts that are uncompetitive, unrepresentative, and unresponsive to the will of the people. Gerrymandering can also contribute to political polarization, as candidates and lawmakers have less incentive to appeal to moderate or diverse voters and more incentive to cater to their partisan base.
How can gerrymandering be prevented or challenged?
There are various ways to address the problem of gerrymandering, such as establishing independent or bipartisan commissions to draw district maps, setting clear and objective criteria for redistricting, using computer algorithms or mathematical formulas to generate fair maps, or adopting alternative voting systems that do not rely on single-member districts. Additionally, gerrymandered maps can be challenged in courts or through public campaigns, based on legal or constitutional grounds such as equal protection, voting rights, or free speech.
Examples of cracking and packing
Cracking and packing are not just theoretical concepts, but real practices that have been used to manipulate elections in various states and countries. Here are some examples of how cracking and packing have been applied in recent years:
In Texas, Republicans redrew the congressional map in 2021 to create more safe seats for their party and reduce the influence of Latino voters. They cracked Travis County, which includes the liberal city of Austin, into five districts that also include conservative rural areas. They also packed Democratic voters into a few districts in Houston and Dallas, while creating more Republican-leaning districts in the suburbs.
In Illinois, Democrats redrew the congressional map in 2021 to give them 14 of the state's 17 House seats. They packed Republicans into a few districts in the rural south and west of the state, while cracking their voters in the Chicago suburbs and collar counties. They also drew a district that included liberal cities like Rockford and Peoria, but bypassed conservative rural areas.
In Singapore, the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has been accused of gerrymandering to weaken the opposition parties. The PAP controls the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, which redraws the electoral map before every general election. The committee has been criticized for creating irregularly shaped constituencies, splitting up opposition strongholds, and shifting voters between districts without explanation.
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