Opinion

LEE CARTER: The quiet way politicians are choosing their voters (and why you should care more than you think)

Data-driven mapmaking lets politicians design districts that look competitive but aren't

By Lee Hartley Carter Fox News

Published May 5, 2026 7:00am EDT

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Gov. DeSantis blasts Democrat 'threats' on Florida redistricting, mocks liberal states' failures

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., discusses the state's newly adopted congressional map and addresses Democratic protests against it.

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Gerrymandering is one of those words people skim past.

It sounds technical. Distant. Like something for political insiders to argue about.

That’s the problem.

Because what people hear when they hear "gerrymandering" is complicated, not for me, doesn’t affect my life.

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The recent vote pitted rural Virginians against the wealthy citizens of northern counties, and could leave the Old Dominion with just one reliably Republican House seat, depending on how the courts rule. (Fox News Digital)

What it actually means is this:

Someone else may be deciding how much your voice counts.

We tend to think of elections as a contest of ideas.

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Make your case. Win people over. Earn the outcome.

But that’s not always what’s happening.

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Every 10 years, after the census, states redraw the lines that determine voting districts. That part makes sense; populations change.

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What matters is who draws the lines.

Because when politicians control the map, they don’t just reflect voters.

They can shape them.

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Not by changing votes, but by changing how those votes are grouped.

Because what people hear when they hear "gerrymandering" is complicated, not for me, doesn’t affect my life.

Pack opposing voters into a few districts, so their influence is concentrated and contained.

Split the rest so they’re spread too thin to........

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