The art of redistricting war: A guide to reading between the lines

An article by the New York World interprets the redistricting process and analyzes the methods in which the maps have been manipulated.

In late January, New York’s legislative redistricting task force released its proposed maps for the state Senate and Assembly. The plans have drawn widespread criticism from elected officials and reform organizations, with the New York Public Interest Research Group decrying “clearly the most gerrymandered lines in recent New York history.”

 

As accusations of gerrymandering and disenfranchisement fly, The New York World set out to answer two basic questions: How exactly do districts get gerrymandered – that is, have their boundaries manipulated to benefit a political party or group? And where, if at all, is it happening in New York?

 

Our side-by-side maps – produced by the Center for Urban Research – show current New York State legislative districts alongside their proposed new boundaries.

 

Using the map, we’ve literally gone between the lines of the new plans to reveal where gerrymandering may have occurred. With thanks to our friends at ProPublica – who produced a Devil’s Dictionary and curiously catchy music video on redistricting – we illustrate the tactics of redistricting warfare and where they are being deployed in New York.

 

Read the full article here.