Every ten years, the United States redraws the boundaries of congressional districts. The constitutional intent was to maintain equal representation in the house of representatives as the population both grew and moved throughout the country.
However, these maps are drawn by elected officials in charge at the time and they know that moving a boundary can win or lose votes. Drawing a boundary for political advantage is called ‘gerrymandering’. Britannica.com describes it well. Adam Ruins Everything says it all in just two minutes.
The ‘Independent Maps’ movement aims to put redistricting in the hands of non partisan commissions. In theory, they would draw election boundaries that better represent communities instead of carving out districts that favor one political party. You can see your House of Representative’s districts here:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map
The best way to view these boundary maps is to pick an area you know. Think about the people that live there. Think about their economics, faith, and education. Is the area more conservative or liberal? Then look at the election districts. The lines will either cut through communities to divide their vote or pack a minority party’s voters into fewer districts giving them less representation. This is why your districts are such irregular shapes. Both parties do this.
