DLC Report: Gerrymandering ‘Suppressed’ 11 Million Votes in 2006 House Races

The Democratic Leadership Council released a report Thursday charging that gerrymandering led to vastly lower voter turnouts in the 2006 congressional elections.

Because of the way districts have been drawn, about 11 million people decided not to cast ballots in House races two years ago, according to the report. Those people stayed home on Election Day because their races were “virtually pre-determined,” the report states. Of the “suppressed” votes, 9 million came from gerrymandered districts in 12 states, the DLC said: Alabama, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

“When districts are party safe, the only challenge to incumbents comes in primaries, usually from their party?s political extreme,” said Al From, the CEO of the centrist Democratic group. “That offers little incentive for members, once in office, to work in the political center and across party lines to do the nation?s business.”

Download the summary of the report here.