How redistricting and the Supreme Court have cut voters out of US House races

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/how-redistricting-supreme-court-have-cut-voters-out-us-house-races-2026-05-03/

How redistricting and the Supreme Court have cut voters out of US House races
By Joseph Ax
May 3, 2026 5:05 AM CDT

May 3 (Reuters) - The number of competitive U.S. House of Representatives districts in this fall’s midterm elections was already near historic lows before the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday opened the door to even more aggressive efforts to draw district lines for political gain.

The court’s ruling, which arrived amid what was already an unprecedented national fight over congressional redistricting, may usher in a new era of nakedly partisan gerrymandering ​that results in still fewer competitive elections, leaving voters with less power than ever, experts said.

The lack of competitive races means that control of the U.S. House of ‌Representatives will likely be determined in November's midterm election by fewer than 10% of Americans, with the winners in the vast majority of districts all but assured before a single ballot is cast, a Reuters analysis found.

Only 32 of the House's 435 seats are currently considered competitive, according to the analysis. Those districts were rated either toss-ups or leaning toward Democrats or Republicans by three leading independent forecasters: Cook Political Report, the University of Virginia’s Crystal Ball and Inside Elections.

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