GERRYMANDERING
gerrymandering (jer-ee-man-d<<schwa>>r-ing orger-ee-), n.1. The practice of dividing a
geographical area into electoral districts, often of highly irregular shape, to give one political party
an unfair advantage by diluting the opposition’s voting strength. • When Massachusetts Governor
Elbridge Gerry ran for reelection in 1812, members of his political party, the Anti-Federalists,
altered the state’s voting districts to benefit the party. One newly created district resembled a
salamander, inspiring a critic to coin the word gerrymander by combining the governor’s name,
Gerry, with the ending of salamander. Gerry was not reelected governor, but was elected as James
Madison’s vice president. — Also termed political gerrymandering. [Cases: Constitutional Law
215.3, 225.3(5); Elections 12(6).C.J.S. Constitutional Law §§ 717, 720, 819.] 2. The practice of
dividing any geographical or jurisdictional area into political units (such as school districts) to
give some group a special advantage. — Also termed jurisdictional gerrymandering. Cf.
REAPPORTIONMENT. [Cases: Schools 32. C.J.S. Schools and School Districts §§ 20, 23–26.]
— gerrymander,vb.
delineational gerrymandering.Gerrymandering by varying the districts’ shape. • There are
three kinds of delin-eational gerrymandering: cracking (or fracturing), packing, and stacking. See
CRACKING; PACKING; STACKING(2).
institutional gerrymandering.Gerrymandering by means of varying the number of
representatives per district. [Blacks Law 8th]