Anti-Gerrymandering Advocates Push 2028 Federal Ban as Partisan Redraws Surge Again
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 25
Anti-Gerrymandering Advocates Push 2028 Federal Ban as Partisan Redraws Surge Again
1 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 25
More than a dozen reform advocates and academics told Playbook they are planning a new anti-gerrymandering push, even as most expect partisan mapmaking to keep rolling through 2028.
Supreme Court rulings, including the Callais decision, and a new mid-decade redistricting strategy that won Republicans several House seats have helped reignite a bipartisan redraw war, with Democrats now responding in kind.
Near-term options are narrow: voting-rights groups still hope to use Section 2 lawsuits where possible, press for more state Voting Rights Acts, and back proposals such as Rep. Kevin Kiley’s bill to ban mid-decade redistricting.
Many advocates now see the best chance in a post-Trump federal overhaul—potentially a national ban on partisan gerrymandering, independent commissions, stronger Voting Rights Act protections, or even proportional representation with multi-member districts.
The broader bet is that today’s extreme maps could create enough public and political backlash to shift the reform window, though both parties’ long history of gerrymandering leaves many experts skeptical.
Could replacing single-member districts with a proportional system be the ultimate solution to gerrymandering and political dysfunction?
How does manipulating district lines for political advantage directly impact legislative ethics and government accountability?