Since most Americans last voted for Congress, thousands of people have been added to certain voting districts — and subtracted from others — under new political maps enacted following court rulings.
The sum of that redistricting math, assuming no major political shift in either major party’s direction, figures to provide at least a one-seat gain for Republicans in November’s U.S. House elections. But that equation could flip to Democrats’ favor depending on what happens in an ongoing effort to reshape New York’s congressional districts.
House boundaries redrawn before the 2022 elections based on the last decennial census have been redrawn again ahead of the 2024 elections in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina. New York could be next. A bipartisan commission is to release a revised plan for New York’s districts by Feb. 28.
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Republicans hold a narrow 219-213 House majority over Democrats, with vacancies in three seats previously held by the GOP. A special election for one of those — to replace ousted Rep. George Santos of New York — will be held Feb. 13.
Voting districts have changed — or could change — before the November elections. That could affect the battle for control of Congress.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last June about minority voting rights paved the way for new districts in Alabama and Louisiana. In each state, the result is that Black voters will have a better opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice in two congressional districts instead of one. Democrats are expected to gain one seat in Alabama and one more in Louisiana in the November elections.
This article was originally published by a billingsgazette.com . Read the Original article here. .