![Politics with Bill Casey [wordmark]](https://billcasey.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/politics_w_bill_casey_fira.png)
Texas gerrymandering
Once again it occurs to me that many things about our Canadian parliamentary system are better than the approach taken in the United States of America. The proposed redefining of electoral districts in Texas for political gain is a good example of the difference.
In Canada, there is one set of federal election rules. We have one body which administers and oversees federal elections in ALL provinces. This body is known as Elections Canada. Elections Canada does not answer to government but is an independent entity.
In the United States, each of the 50 states has its own set of rules for a federal election. Oversight is done by state-run organizations and is subject to political influence. No federal body oversees ballots, polling, voting, or district boundaries, as in Canada. 50 states each have their own structure for election administration, rules, and oversight, and it is determined by the state legislature.
The current issue in Texas is that the Republican Party wants to adjust electoral district boundaries to capture communities where additional Republican voters live. By doing this, it is suggested that the Republicans can win five extra House of Representative seats next year in the mid-term elections. This could make the difference between a Republican majority of the seats in the Federal House of Representatives in Washington, or a minority.
Normally, the next redistricting in Texas would follow the 2030 Census, most likely in 2031. The current proposal is to make the changes now. The timing of the announcement has raised as many concerns as the changes.
The state legislature in Texas is republican dominated, and it is supporting this proposal. All key statewide offices are held by Republicans. If successful, these changes will be made in the middle of a term, which is 6 years ahead of the normal schedule.
To put this into perspective, it would be like Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney asking New Brunswick Liberal Premier Susan Holt to rearrange the election boundaries in New Brunswick to concentrate Liberal votes in five ridings to guarantee election victory. Fortunately, this cannot happen in Canada because Elections Canada is completely independent of government. Boundaries are redefined every ten years based on population changes. The decisions are made by an independent Electoral Boundaries Commission.
Canada, the U. K., and Australia all have independent election oversight bodies which administer voting, campaign finance, boundaries, and compliance to the rules. In the United States, federal elections are administered by the Secretary of State, or a state election board for each state. Themajority party(currentlyRepublican in Texas) draws the new maps. No two states have exactly the same rules for a federal election. Amazing.
In retaliation, now some Democrat states are proposing to redefine districts for political gain for the Democrats. There are suggestions that as many as 10 states could go through this process. Both Republican and Democrat Parties are threatening such action. This isn t a Republican issue so much as it is an election structure issue. Both parties have moved boundaries to their political avenge, although this Texas proposal seems to highlight the issue.
The process of redefining election boundaries for political gain is often called gerrymandering. The term "gerrymandering" was coined after Elbridge Gerry, an early American politician, signed a bill in 1812 that redrewstate senate district boundariesin Massachusetts tofavor his political party.
One district was so oddly shaped that critics said it looked like asalamander. A local newspaper (theBoston Gazette) published a cartoon of the bizarre district and sarcastically labeled it a Gerrymander.
The name stuck and is now used in several countries to describe the redefining of electoral boundaries for political gain.
Thanks for reading,
Bill
In Canada, there is one set of federal election rules. We have one body which administers and oversees federal elections in ALL provinces. This body is known as Elections Canada. Elections Canada does not answer to government but is an independent entity.
In the United States, each of the 50 states has its own set of rules for a federal election. Oversight is done by state-run organizations and is subject to political influence. No federal body oversees ballots, polling, voting, or district boundaries, as in Canada. 50 states each have their own structure for election administration, rules, and oversight, and it is determined by the state legislature.
The current issue in Texas is that the Republican Party wants to adjust electoral district boundaries to capture communities where additional Republican voters live. By doing this, it is suggested that the Republicans can win five extra House of Representative seats next year in the mid-term elections. This could make the difference between a Republican majority of the seats in the Federal House of Representatives in Washington, or a minority.
Normally, the next redistricting in Texas would follow the 2030 Census, most likely in 2031. The current proposal is to make the changes now. The timing of the announcement has raised as many concerns as the changes.
The state legislature in Texas is republican dominated, and it is supporting this proposal. All key statewide offices are held by Republicans. If successful, these changes will be made in the middle of a term, which is 6 years ahead of the normal schedule.
To put this into perspective, it would be like Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney asking New Brunswick Liberal Premier Susan Holt to rearrange the election boundaries in New Brunswick to concentrate Liberal votes in five ridings to guarantee election victory. Fortunately, this cannot happen in Canada because Elections Canada is completely independent of government. Boundaries are redefined every ten years based on population changes. The decisions are made by an independent Electoral Boundaries Commission.
Canada, the U. K., and Australia all have independent election oversight bodies which administer voting, campaign finance, boundaries, and compliance to the rules. In the United States, federal elections are administered by the Secretary of State, or a state election board for each state. Themajority party(currentlyRepublican in Texas) draws the new maps. No two states have exactly the same rules for a federal election. Amazing.
In retaliation, now some Democrat states are proposing to redefine districts for political gain for the Democrats. There are suggestions that as many as 10 states could go through this process. Both Republican and Democrat Parties are threatening such action. This isn t a Republican issue so much as it is an election structure issue. Both parties have moved boundaries to their political avenge, although this Texas proposal seems to highlight the issue.
The process of redefining election boundaries for political gain is often called gerrymandering. The term "gerrymandering" was coined after Elbridge Gerry, an early American politician, signed a bill in 1812 that redrewstate senate district boundariesin Massachusetts tofavor his political party.
One district was so oddly shaped that critics said it looked like asalamander. A local newspaper (theBoston Gazette) published a cartoon of the bizarre district and sarcastically labeled it a Gerrymander.
The name stuck and is now used in several countries to describe the redefining of electoral boundaries for political gain.
Thanks for reading,
Bill