Gerrymandering has a horrific effect on voter behavior. Those in competitive districts are more likely to vote; those in safe, uncompetitive districts stay home more often on Election Day. Just as Ginsburg surmised, there appears to be no “incentive to vote.” Moreover, that “redistricting dampens turnout in the subsequent election cycle, especially among black registrants.” The import for what this means to Democratic candidates is profound. “The drop in overall turnout among [African Americans] attributed to redistricting can produce sizable electoral effects.”
