Why did Harris county precinct map change so drastically?

[Dopo]

Recently I was confused by precinct signs around my neighborhood.
I looked up the Harris county precinct map and found an article where they show how the map changed from 2010 to 2020 (looks like the map changes every 10 years)

Precinct 1 stayed almost exactly the same
but Precinct 2, 3 and 4 drastically changed ... why such a big change?

[Dopo]

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...-houston-area/

At the county level, Harris County commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines in October to approve a redrawn commissioner precinct map that swapped portions of precincts 3 and 4. Harris County Commissioners Tom Ramsey and Jack Cagle—who represent precincts 3 and 4, respectively—each cast dissenting votes against the new map.

“I thought [the redrawn map] was a joke,” Cagle said at an Oct. 28 meeting. “In essence, you’re taking everybody that was in Precinct 4, and you crammed them into Precinct 3, and you took everybody that was in Precinct 3, and you crammed them into [Precinct] 4. ... Your people of service are all going to be served by strangers, in terms of flipping all of the resources.”

The redistricting process has already prompted several lawsuits challenging maps drawn both in Harris County and at the state level.

[SanJac]

ger·ry·man·der

verb
gerund or present participle: gerrymandering

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.
achieve (a result) by manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency.
"a total freedom to gerrymander the results they want"

Both political parties do this you understand?

[LocalPlanner]

Yes, it was a gerrymander, combined with Voting Right Act considerations.

In this case, the Democrats wanted to increase their majority on the Court. Pct. 4 was up for election. Its previous voter base was more heavily Republican, so there wouldn't be much chance to win it for Democrats. However, Pct. 3 covered territory that was much more Democratic-leaning (north Katy etc.). So, the map was redrawn to put Pct. 3 in the Republican area, making it a "safe" Republican seat, but make Pct. 4 now cover the more Democratic population, so they could win that seat immediately, which they did.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Uhh… Gerrymandering.

Dopo what’s going on? You should know this XD

Chicago had a famous district that’s the standard of funny political lines

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Recently I was confused by precinct signs around my neighborhood.
I looked up the Harris county precinct map and found an article where they show how the map changed from 2010 to 2020 (looks like the map changes every 10 years)

Precinct 1 stayed almost exactly the same
but Precinct 2, 3 and 4 drastically changed ... why such a big change?

The precinct signs in your neighborhood may be for Constable precincts, which are different than the Commissioner precincts. Both get redrawn after a census.

[hbcu]

I guess anyone hasn't seen the Klein ISD map or the old Aldine zoning maps - gerrymandering at its finest

[As Above So Below...]

Quite simple, it was gerrymandered to benefit Democrats just as our state government gerrymanders congressional districts to benefit Republicans.