Cracking

Redistricting
State-by-state redistricting procedures
Majority-minority districts
Congressional district demographics
United States census, 2020

In redistricting, cracking refers to the practice of drawing electoral districts that divide the population of a community or constituency across several districts. In doing so, the influence of the community or constituency may be reduced, preventing the group from forming a voting block within any single district sufficient to elect the group's preferred candidates. This practice contrasts with packing, in which the population of a community or constituency is consolidated within a small number of districts, thereby minimizing its influence in other districts. Cracking and packing may be used in conjunction to minimize the influence of a particular voting bloc to benefit another, a practice referred to as gerrymandering.^[1][2][3]

See also[edit]

• Packing
• Majority-minority districts
• Gerrymandering
• State-by-state redistricting procedures

External links[edit]

• National Conference of State Legislatures, "Redistricting"

Footnotes[edit]

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