the redistricting problem

The die of political power in the United States is often cast long before voters march to the polls to fulfill their democratic responsibility to vote in free and fair elections. Gerrymandering - the intentional manipulation of district borders to discriminate against a group of voters on the basis of their political views or race - renders the popular vote irrelevant, allowing partisan legislators to determine the political power structure of their states for the next ten years, after which redistricting occurs.