Elbridge Gerry, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. As governor of Massachusetts between 1810 and 1812, Gerry put together a district map for the state senate that gave a huge electoral advantage to his own party’s candidates.12 Gerrymandering has survived until today and consists of manipulating the borders of a territorial unit in a way that ensures that one’s party has an advantage. This bizarre practice allows representatives to pick their voters rather than the other way around. It is undemocratic, primitive, and untouchable until now.
