The Supreme Court has made it clear that it won’t save democracy. The justices unanimously punted on two extreme gerrymandering cases last term, and few would predict that the current court will reverse that trend. Lower federal courts and state courts are friendlier to overthrowing gerrymandered maps, but litigation takes time and it generally doesn’t change the process, just one set of maps. Citizens could take charge with more ballot measures, but only a few states remain where that is even an option. In the meantime, the advanced mapping software and big-data “mining” techniques that make possible the most egregious maps — the kind that all but ensure a decade of one-party power in state and federal representation — are only becoming more sophisticated and precise.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 08, 2018 23:35 UTC