Q&A: The political calculus—and actual math—of gerrymandering

On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's voting map on the basis that the state had illegally used race as a consideration when it created a new majority-Black district. Observers say the ruling could have major implications across the country for how future district boundary decisions are made under the Voting Rights Act. Meanwhile, ahead of the November midterms, lawmakers in several states have been redrawing their district maps to favor one party or the other, or are considering such reconfigurations.