Ideally, voting in the U.S. is a simple process. You choose a candidate, go to a polling station, and cast a vote. Yet, where you go to vote is actually a very complicated process. The U.S. is divided into electoral districts. These districts determine the number of representatives each state has in the House of Representatives and are based on population. To further complicate matters, each state is divided into districts for purposes of electing state legislators. Finally, cities are divided into districts for purposes of electing city and town council members.
Disputes over district boundaries occur all the time at every level of government. As suburban and urban areas grow, their citizens want more representation. Furthermore, population shifts affect the demographics of an area and can cause a shift in voting patterns.
Today, you will be analyzing the voting patterns of a specific geographic area over the past twenty-five years to get a better sense of how population affects voting.
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