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I just came from another post that reminded me of this so I’ll go with it: gerrymandering does not affect your vote in statewide races.
I kept coming across people before the 2024 US elections saying their vote wouldn’t matter in states like TX because of gerrymandering. No. No! It screws you in representation, but not the votes that are a raw count like governor or president.
There might be second order effects of gerrymandering in terms of voters feeling disenfranchised, and deciding their vote doesn't matter. And not going to vote at all, even in state-wide elections. Not saying this with any evidence just thinking.
Totally!
Gerrymandering makes many elections useless if you’re in the districted minority, so you and many who think like you don’t vote. Results come out showing a sweeping win for the majority, so you and others who think like you feel like you’re so far in the minority that there’s never a point to voting because you’ll never “win,” even in statewide elections.
I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a part of the calculus behind gerrymandering in the first place. Not only do you get the immediate representation you’re seeking, but also makes it so people who disagree just stop voting altogether.
What about the electoral college?
in most states its all or nothing so its the popular vote of the state. I think some have some sort of proportional but not sure if its based on districts.
Adding onto the other commenter - yes the electoral college skews votes towards less populous states. But state borders weren't drawn with this intent, so it isn't gerrymandering.
It doesn't though.
It used to, that is true, but it no longer does.
The Constitution allowed for midwest states to have a minimum number of college votes so Congress would not be dominated by the biggest states.
But since then, the population of those states has grown so that they meet the numbers for those votes anyway, exception in a few cases, and even then the disproportion is small.
only two states award electors by district, the rest are winner-take-all