Wisconsin’s gerrymandering case in U.S. Supreme Court could change elections forever

Expert says case is voters vs. incumbent politicians 

A U.S. Supreme Court case based in Wisconsin could alter the future of elections forever.

That, according to Jay Heck with Common Cause in Wisconsin, as the court decides whether Republicans drew political lines to give themselves an unfair advantage for the next decade.

“This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue,” Heck said. “This is really one of voters versus incumbent politicians, and you want a system where voters actually have a choice in elections.”

Plaintiffs allege Republicans rigged the redistricting process, drawing the maps in such a way that guaranteed them several victories.

Heck added that the issue isn’t a debate over right or wrong.

“In Wisconsin, nobody thinks that the system is balanced or fair,” Heck said. “Republicans happen to like it because it favors them at the moment.”

Heck says the practice could spread depending on the high court’s ruling.

“(If) partisanship is fine, then you can be sure that both Republicans and Democrats around the country will engage in the most partisan practice that they can in order to make seats uncompetitive,” he said.

Depending on the ruling, which could come in the spring, the official next drawing of boundaries will take place in 2020.

In 1981, Iowa put in place a redistricting process, in which state legislative and congressional district boundaries are drawn by a non-partisan legislative state agency without any regard to partisan political considerations and factors.