Redistricting

State legislatures redraw the boundaries of congressional districts every ten years, in response to population changes. The purpose is to ensure that congressional seats are fairly apportioned among the citizens of a state. However, some legislators manipulate the boundaries of electoral districts to influence electoral outcomes. This process is often called gerrymandering. In the past, one common purpose of gerrymandering was to reduce the electoral strength of racial minorities in congressional districts. See Gerrymander.

Electoral Reform, elimination of undemocratic, dishonest, and corrupt practices in the conduct of public elections. Reform is usually effected by statutory enactments that extend voting rights to certain categories of citizens, revise procedures for selecting candidates and arranging elections, and outlaw corrupt practices employed to influence the outcome of elections.