Election lawyers and experts say that what is happening now is a crisis with few parallels in American history, especially given the potential weakening of the Voting Rights Act, which the Supreme Court is expected to rule on in the coming months.
They fear this one-two punch could weaken democracy.
Congressional redistricting is typically carried out after the national census, which is taken every decade. States can win and lose House seats according to population changes, and state legislatures from both parties have used the once-per-decade opportunity to redraw districts that benefit them politically.
But this year, that norm has been shattered. Election experts worry that if the trend continues, redistricting could become a chaotic and near-constant process, with state lawmakers redrawing districts with the onset of every midterm election.
Political calculations, as well as litigation, could slow the downward spiral. But if not, experts say, the electoral system is likely to encourage even more extremism among candidates, sow confusion and cynicism among voters, and create a reality in which House delegations from some states no longer reflect the political diversity of their residents.
For now, little can stop the states.
Things I Find Interesting [aka, the stuff rattling around inside the brain of Torr Leonard] 