Packed voters and cracked voters

TL;DR

This paper formalizes the concepts of packing and cracking in gerrymandering, providing precise definitions and analyzing real-world district plans to identify voters affected by these tactics.

Contribution

It introduces clear, formal definitions of packed and cracked voters based on comparator plans, advancing the understanding of vote dilution tactics.

Findings

Definitions depend on comparator plans

Illustrated with hypothetical example

Analyzed district plans in Maryland, North Carolina, Wisconsin

Abstract

The actions of packing and cracking are central to the construction of gerrymandered district plans. The US Supreme Court opinion in Gill v. Whitford makes clear that vote dilution arguments require showing that individual voters have been packed or cracked. In this article we provide precise definitions of what it means for a voter to be packed or cracked. These definitions, which depend crucially on the existence of at least one comparator plan, are illustrated using a simple hypothetical example. We also explore who might be considered packed or cracked for congressional plans in Maryland and North Carolina, and for the current state assembly plan in Wisconsin.