The Lines That Divide Us: Gerrymandering at Work

August 25, 2025

Ever looked at a map of your voting district and thought, “Wait… what is this squiggly mess?” You’re not alone. Words like redistricting and gerrymandering weren’t exactly dinner table topics growing up—but they should’ve been. Because these weird lines? They shape everything from who represents you not only at the federal level, but in local governments that include city councils, county commissioners and school boards. And all of these decisions have effects on your healthcare.

Every 10 years, by constitutional mandate, the U.S. Census counts every person living in the country—the most recent was in April 2020. That data is used to redraw congressional and legislative districts so that each one represents roughly the same number of people. Sounds fair, right?

Here’s the twist: in most states, politicians—not independent commissions—control the redrawing process. When politicians control the process, fair votes aren’t the priority—they often draw lines to protect their own power. That’s where gerrymandering comes in.

How It Started

Gerrymandering is the ugly art of drawing district lines to favor one party or suppress another. The term dates back to 1812, when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry approved a district shaped like a salamander to benefit his party. The press dubbed it a “Gerry-mander,” and the name stuck.

Modern-day gerrymandering tactics include:

●       Cracking: Splitting a community across multiple districts to dilute its voting power

●       Packing: Concentrating a community into one district so they win there—but lose everywhere else

And How It’s Going

Modern-day gerrymandering tactics are strategically designed to secure partisan victories rather than reflect genuine population shifts. These manipulations often suppress the political power of racial and ethnic communities by diluting their votes or isolating them into noncompetitive districts.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted to end racially based voter suppression and ensure equal access to the ballot. But its protections have been steadily eroded—most notably by the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down the preclearance requirements for states with histories of discrimination. The 2021 decision in Brnovich v. DNC upheld restrictive voting laws despite racial discrimination. That ruling allowed states like Texas and North Carolina to change voting laws and undermine the very protections the Voting Rights Act was designed to uphold.

Let’s use my home state of North Carolina as an example. After the 2020 Census, population growth in urban and suburban areas resulted in NC gaining an extra congressional seat. But instead of celebrating fairer representation, we saw both a race to manipulate the maps by using partisan statewide election data and a race to the courthouse to challenge and uphold these decisions. In 2022, the state Supreme Court, with a Democratic majority, struck down maps drawn after the 2020 census, and a court-drawn map produced a 7–7 split between Democrats and Republicans. In 2023, after the election of a Republican majority to the state Supreme Court, the court reversed the prior ruling. Republican lawmakers then redrew the maps, aiming for a 10–4 Republican advantage in congressional seats. We are closely watching the results of the latest NC court challenge that are not expected before the end of August.

Texas: Go Big or Go…Where?

Texas has been dominating the news lately and offers a current example. The Republican-led legislature unabashedly redrew Texas’s congressional districts—five years ahead of the next census—in a calculated power move to flip five Democratic-held seats and secure a stronger GOP majority in the U.S. House before the 2026 midterms. This will now give Republicans control of 30 out of 38 congressional districts, despite only winning 56% of the statewide vote in 2024.

Why does this matter for women’s health in particular? Texas is a state that has experienced the following impacts to its OBGYN workforce since its near total abortion ban in 2022.

●       20% of practicing OB/GYNs in Texas have considered leaving the state due to abortion restrictions

●       13% plan to retire early, citing inability to provide evidence-based care and fear of legal consequences

●       7% plan to leave obstetrics or medicine entirely, further straining the workforce

●       57% of OB/GYN residents say abortion laws are influencing their decision to leave Texas after training

●       50% of those residents report they plan to leave the state, citing legal risk and ethical concerns

●       Applications to OB/GYN residency programs in Texas have declined year-over-year since 2021, when SB 8 was enacted

These trends are especially alarming given that Texas already ranks 50th in women’s health outcomes nationally, nearly half its counties are classified as maternity care deserts, and it has more than 1 million uninsured women of reproductive age.

The Room Where It Happens

Redistricting may seem like a wonky political process, but it’s a public health issue. The lines on the map determine who gets care, who gets heard, and who gets left behind. It affects who sits in the rooms where budgets are written, policies are debated, and funding is allocated. If your community isn’t represented, your health priorities aren’t either. This means:

●       Less funding for maternal health programs

●       Less OBGYNs to deliver babies and less places to deliver them

●       Less specialists available to treat women as they age

●       Less funding for long-acting reversible contraception, the most proven method of decreasing abortion rates

When districts are drawn to protect incumbents instead of communities, health equity suffers.

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” — Shirley Chisholm

This iconic quote from civil rights activist and visionary Shirley Chisholm captures the essence of both individual and collective power. It’s a reminder that access isn’t always granted—but it can be claimed. Chisholm’s words challenge us to show up, speak out, and reshape the spaces that weren’t built with us in mind. Whether in politics, healthcare, or community advocacy, the folding chair symbolizes that we are not powerless. Explore these options for what you can do:

●       Look up who represents you on both a national and local basis

●       Learn how your state handles redistricting 

●       Support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025

●       Lobby your state in using independent redistricting commissions

●       In states where judges are elected, learn why judges matter

●       Register to vote and get to the polls in every national, state, and local election

And think about making the topic of gerrymandering one you discuss at the dinner table. Because the lines that divide us don’t just shape politics, they shape lives.

From the author: I cited a government url in this article for registering to vote. In complete transparency, I also encourage my readers to stay vigilant and consider alternate local voter registration resources that they trust.