It has been called vote rigging, power grabs, and just plain cleverness.
But it is legal and both Republicans and Democrats do it.
Gerrymandering, the process of redrawing electoral districts to favor political parties, is almost as old as the United States, yet it remains an important part of the modern political process.
In this year's general election, it could affect the outcome of crucial races for the U.S. House of Representatives as well as state legislatures.
How does manipulation work?
Generally, once a decade, states update their congressional districts to reflect population changes.
That's where manipulation comes into the process. Political parties attempt to redraw electoral maps to give their side the greatest number of seats in state legislatures and Congress.
District boundaries are manipulated to unite like-minded voters or to divide them, amplifying or diluting their voting power.
The results are often twisted districts with meandering boundaries drawn to include some voters and leave others out.
Basically, gerrymandering allows politicians to choose their voters and not the other way around.
The word was invented in 1812 when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry redrew the state Senate's electoral map to benefit his party.
The result was an oddly shaped district that looked like a salamander.
It inspired cartoonist Elkanah Tisdale to draw a mythical creature for the Boston Gazette, calling it “Gerry-mander.” The name stuck.
Create complacent politicians?
The manipulation is controversial, and not just because it is a blatant vote grab. Critics say it can dilute the voting power of racial minorities and undermine democracy.
A 2023 study by Harvard University researchers found that gerrymandering often creates “safe” seats for politicians, meaning their careers are less competitive. In turn, these politicians become less responsive to the needs of their constituents, who as a result become discouraged from voting.
At least eight states have clear language in their constitutions against partisan redistricting. Others use independent commissions to make changes. But most states lack safeguards.
National efforts in the last Congress also failed to prohibit partisan gerrymandering.
In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is up to state courts to deal with legal battles over voting maps.
So now it's a state-by-state fight over the role of partisan politics in congressional districts, and some recent rulings may affect the outcome of the 2024 election.
For example, in South Carolina, a new electoral map has turned a swing district into a safer Republican one, sparking outrage among voting rights advocates.
Meanwhile, in Louisiana and Alabama, the newly drawn maps could mean at least one more House seat in each state for Democrats.
And in North Carolina, the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of a gerrymandered congressional map, possibly giving Republicans three more seats in the House.
Each of those races is significant: control of the U.S. House of Representatives is resolved by district-level votes, with the fate of national legislation at stake.
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