# Election Redistricting Problems

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-redistricting-problems/175147>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 14, 2003, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-redistricting-problems/175147 "2003-05-14T06:39:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-redistricting-problems/175147/21 "2003-05-15T22:54:03Z")

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> [@](#):
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> US Constitution; Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1  
> The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

So theoretically, Congress could make a law that says the legislatures can’t draw House Districts based upon party affiliation. That would solve the problem with Congressional elections at least.

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**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-redistricting-problems/175147/22 "2003-05-16T01:12:17Z")

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> [@](#):
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> \*Originally posted by Blalron \*  
> \*\*Blacks tend to vote overwhelmingly Democratic, so it seems to me that by making a limited number of Special Black Districts the overall number of winning Democratic candidates will drop. \*\*

Give the contestant a real Cuban cigar!

The “Black” districts currently in place have the simultaneous effect of isolating likely Democrats so that Democrat votes not in the “Black” districts end up getting overwhelmed in the other districts.

The State Supreme Court sat back and pretty much said “since you lot can’t make up your minds, we’re going to assign districts by the absolute letter of the law.” This ends up creating districts that are far closer to “square-ish” (Indianapolis is a city-county government in a square county) than the old winding serpents.

Voters are now more mixed together in Indianapolis and Marion County than any time in the area’s history.

Now, if only we can do something about that daft school district gerrymandering here…

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