Your Guide to Gerrymandering & Weird Laws

A Ten News Deep Dive: Episode 604

Drum roll, please... for the first deep dive of Season 6! 🎉

🗺️ Ryan and Pam are diving into 5 things that you need to know about Gerrymandering.

✍️ Fun Fact: Voting districts actually look like doodles on the map

🧐 And, a look at weird and wacky laws that exist in different states throughout the U.S.

💡 Join Owen and Pam on the Trivia Throne to test your weird law knowledge about the southern state of Alabama!

Resources

• https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/gerrymandering-explained

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/where-did-term-gerrymander-come-180964118/

• https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/california-republicans-sue-block-congressional-redistricting-plan-2025-08-25/

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Transcript:

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

RYAN: Flyyyyy, Eagles Flyyyyy–

ADAM: Hey hey hey! Don’t put that Philadelphia Eagles coffee mug on this side of the studio. This is the New York Jets side of the office. 

RYAN: Oh, okay, Adam. So, I can’t put this mug on your side? 

ADAM: Absolutely not–

RYAN: Fine then I’ll just move my chair here, <SFX office chair gets rolled> and now it’s the Eagles side. So please move your Jets flag–

ADAM: Oh I see how it is. Alright then I’ll just move this desk– <SFX drags desk> And now you can put your bobblehead collection over in Scranton–

<SFX door opens>

RYAN: Then move your Jets helmet back to Schenectady! 

PAM: Goooood morning–

RYAN: You can’t just move things things and make it your side of the office–

PAM: GUYS! 

RYAN/ADAM: Hi Pam / Good morning, Pam. (both suddenly better behaved)

PAM: Are you two… gerrymandering the office…? 

ADAM: Yeah…

RYAN: Nope. No. Kinda. Maybe.

RYAN/ADAM: He started it–

PAM: Okay, I think we need to get into this one. I’m Pamela Kirkland.

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, it’s Friday, Sept 12th.

PAM: This is a Ten News Deep Dive.

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

(in the distance) ADAM: LET’S GO JETS!

RYAN: Ugh, I’m so annoyed. He is not splitting up the office fairly. 

PAM: What you two were doing is actually kinda similar to what’s been going on in Texas and California.

RYAN: Really? I guess, but… I don’t see it.

PAM: Then I think we should cover: Five Things to Know About Gerrymandering… 

<SFX idk what sound here but something to kick it off!>

RYAN: Okay, Number 1: What exactly is “gerrymandering?” and how is it different from “redistricting?”

PAM: Let’s start with some basics. Members of the US House of Representatives and state and local legislators in towns and counties, are elected from districts. Districts divide states and the people that live there into different territories and those territories vote on who represents them. Redistricting is how we change the districts to determine who represents us. Every 10 years after the U.S. Census, redistricting happens to ensure that each district has roughly the same amount of people, reflecting shifts in people moving around. This is done to try and keep representation fair and balanced as the populations change. Gerrymandering is a manipulative form of redistricting, where boundaries are drawn to give one political party or group an unfair advantage. It’s what some politicians do to favor their party and expand their power.  

Think of it this way, redistricting is like redrawing teams in kickball so they’re fair. Gerrymandering is when one kid takes all the best players on their side.

RYAN: So, redistricting is the process that is supposed to happen, which keeps things fair… and gerrymandering is when you… cheat that process to make it unfair for one side? 

PAM: Yup. 

RYAN: But how do you actually Gerrymander…?

PAM: Well that brings us to Number Two: The SECOND thing to know are the techniques politicians and map drawers use to do so…Cracking and Packing. 

RYAN: Um, what? That sounds like a tik tok dance I don’t know. 

PAM: No, it's a real thing.  CRACKING is when you split up a set of voters into multiple districts, so their voting power is divided. When the voting group is cracked, It is just what it sounds like. They have a much harder time electing the candidate they want in any district, because they’re too small of a group of voters to be effective. 

RYAN: And PACKING?

PAM: Packing is the opposite of cracking. Congressional map drawers pack groups or parties into as FEW districts as possible. And while the packed groups might elect the candidate they want by a LOT of votes, their voting strength is weak everywhere else besides the packed area. And it doesn’t have to be packing OR cracking, map drawers who gerrymander can use both to create an advantage.

RYAN: I’m ready for the THIRD thing to know which is, where did the word Gerrymandering come from?

PAM: Yes, Number 3: Back in 1812, Elbridge Gerry, was the governor of Massachusetts. A new voting map was drawn that gave his political party an advantage. Gerry thought the plan was, quote “highly disagreeable” but he signed it anyway. One of the districts on the map looked so weird and squiggly that a cartoonist drew it as a giant monster. The drawing appeared in the Boston Gazette newspaper in March of 1812 in an article about the redistricting, with the headline: “Gerry-mander.” And the name just stuck. 

RYAN:  So wait, he didn’t even like it, but he signed it anyway? And then a monster doodle turned into a word we still use today?

PAM: Yup, history is interesting that way.

RYAN: Ok, I’m ready to take on the 4th Thing to Know. Number 4: Texas shenanigans! This past summer, President Trump pushed Texas Republican lawmakers to do an unusual mid-decade congressional redistricting, outside of the normal 10 year process. He wanted to gain FIVE additional Republican seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Following the president’s request, Texas Governor Greg Abbott called a special session of the Texas legislature to vote on the new district map. This prompted the Texas House Democrats to break quorum, which means they walked out of the meeting so the vote could not be passed. It got pretty messy with the House Democrats even leaving the state to stop a vote from being held. After threats of sending the FBI after them, they returned and the Republican controlled Texas State Senate approved the new map, and Governor Abbott signed it into law. So while the new map is law, multiple lawsuits have been filed against it, alleging that the Voting Rights Act and U.S. Constitution were violated. The cases are working their way through federal courts and will determine if the maps can or can’t be used for the 2026 midterm elections. 

PAM: And while all of THAT was happening, the FIFTH thing you need to know was also happening. Number 5: California steps into the ring. Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Texas’ situation by, what he calls, fighting fire with fire. Normally California’s congressional maps are drawn by an independent citizen’s commission, not by politiicans. That rule was created so the process would stay fair. But because of the actions in Texas, Governor Newsom called for a special election ballot, nicknamed the Election Rigging Response Act. If voters approve it, the law would let California switch to a legislature-drawn congressional map that could potentially make Republican seats into Democratic seats, only in special situations, like the one happening now.

RYAN: So Californians have to vote on whether politicians can take back map-drawing power from the independent commission?

PAM: Exactly. It will be decided in a special election on November 4th, 2025.  California Republicans have sued to try and block this it and President Trump said the Department of Justice would sue California, for doing the exact same thing that he told Texas to do. 

RYAN: I have to say, this all sounds absolutely bonkers. Has this ever happened before?

PAM: Not like this, it hasn’t. It is very unusual for a President to call for state redistricting to help his own party. And it’s also unusual for a state to openly gerrymander because another state openly gerrymandered. 

RYAN: Yeah, this is wild stuff and we have to keep our Ten’ers posted.
ADAM: (off to the side): J-E-T-S! JETS JETS JETS!

RYAN: Grr, he is still here!

PAM: Okay then, maybe we should take a quick break…

RYAN: Okay Ten’ers, here’s a quick odd fact for you. Some voting districts are drawn into such weird shapes that people give them nicknames. There’s one in Illinois called the ‘Upside Down Elephant,’ and another in Florida nicknamed the ‘Goofy Kicking Donald Duck.’ Yes, sometimes maps look less like fair districts and more like silly doodles. At least they don’t look like butterflies…

RYAN: Aaaaand we’re back, and I have to say, one of the cool but also crazy parts about the United States is how different each state actually is. 

PAM: You’re not wrong. And each state has a lot of really random, weird laws. Did you know that? 

RYAN: I DID actually. 

PAM: The laws aren’t always enforced, but…apparently they still exist. 

RYAN: I bet I know more than you know.

PAM: Oh Ry…bring it on. 

RYAN: Here are some really, really weird laws. <SFX to indicate it starts! Idk what) 

PAM: In Arizona, donkeys are not allowed to sleep in bathtubs. Which apparently traces back to the 1920s when a donkey was swept away in a bathtub during a flood. 

RYAN: In Oregon, it’s illegal to whistle underwater. Though, I’m not sure how that’s even possible. <SFX bubbles underwater>

PAM: In Connecticut, a pickle must bounce to be legally sold. 

RYAN: So if I want to buy a pickle, I have to throw it on the ground, to see if it bounces and that’s what makes it a legal pickle? 

PAM: Apparently…and in Gainesville, Georgia, it’s illegal to eat fried chicken with anything other than your hands. The law was created as a joke to honor southern traditions, but a tourist once got in trouble (as a prank) for breaking that law!

RYAN: So I’d get in trouble if I used a SPORK to eat the chicken?!

PAM: Why would you use a Spork to eat fried chicken?

RYAN: Don’t ask me questions I don’t want to answer, just give me more southern fried chicken please. In Alabama you’re not allowed to wear a fake mustache in church if it causes laughter…and in Arkansas it’s illegal to honk your horn near a sandwich shop after 9pm. 

PAM: In Florida it’s illegal for an unmarried woman to parachute on Sundays.. 

RYAN: So an unmarried man can parachute on Sundays? What if the unmarried woman jumped out of the plane in Florida but landed in Georgia? 

PAM: I do not know, Ry. But did you know that in Minnesota wrestling or fighting bears is prohibited? 

RYAN: Ummm, yeah, that’s a law I don’t plan on breaking ANYWHERE. Especially with fat bear week coming up, I would get CRUSHED. In New York, it’s illegal to take “tiger selfies.” Which means you can’t take a close-up photo with a Tiger. 

PAM: Yup, that’s another law I don’t plan on breaking... 

RYAN: I want more weird laws! Do you know any more? I wonder if our Ten’ers know any.

PAM: Not off the top of my head…but I bet our Trivia Master, Owen does. Lemme check with him–

<SFX Trivia Room door opens>

OWEN: Welcome to the Trivia Room! Oh hey Pam! 

PAM: Hi Owen! I was just talking about weird laws with Ryan and was wondering–

OWEN: –If I had any? 

PAM: Exactly. How did you know that?

OWEN: I wouldn’t be the Trivia Master if I didn’t. Also, I was listening to you two. Wanna hop on the Trivia Throne? 

PAM: It would be an honor! 

<SFX Trivia intro>

OWEN: You and Ryan named quite a few weird laws, but in ALABAMA, which of these weird laws is illegal? Is it…

1. Stealing someone else’s crawfish can get you up to 10 years in jail?

2. You aren’t allowed to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket? 

3. Video games cannot be played from 2am to 5am. Or…

4. It’s illegal to bathe in either ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise?

PAM: Hmmmm, that’s a tough one. Alabama definitely has a lot of crawfish, so I could see it being illegal to steal someone’s…I don’t understand how or why you’d carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket of all places… I’m really unsure! Is it… (PAM GUESS OR FEEL FREE TO ADLIB THIS WHOLE LINE!)

OWEN: The answer is…B! You are not allowed to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket in Alabama.

PAM: That feels like a bad idea anyway but why is it illegal? 

OWEN: It’s actually illegal in Alabama AND Kentucky. The law was made a long time ago, when people would steal horses, which is obviously illegal. But if the horse followed you, you might be able to say you weren’t stealing it…right? Well sneaky thieves would use ice cream to lure horses away by putting the cone in their back pocket and walking past a horse, who might be tempted to follow the smell of the ice cream and the thief!

PAM: I don’t see how that would work–

RYAN: Did someone say ice cream? I heard about ice cream and I want some ice cream. 

PAM: Ummm, okay, that makes more sense now. Thanks Owen!

OWEN: Ten’ers, if you want to be on the trivia throne, or if you have a piece of trivia for me to ask, send us an email at hello@thetennews.com and we might have you on the show!

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

ADAM: Look Ry, our teams are in different divisions…but they ARE similar colors…

RYAN: So maybe during football season, we can have the whole office just be green! 

ADAM: Now we’re talking!

PAM: I’m glad you two worked that out. Now let’s give Ten News Snaps to some of our listeners…

RYAN: And before that, here’s a quick note for the grownups!

<AD BREAK>

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!

PAM: A Ten’er named the Elemental Master commented and said, “I want an episode on Space.” Okay, we will definitely put that on the list to explore! And a Ten’er named Zuri555 gave us an Apple review with 1 million stars and said, “Can you make more episodes of video games?” Ummm, I’m sure Ryan will be happy to. 

RYAN: OF COURSE I WILL. Also, a Ten’er named Archie said, “You might remember me from August, I love the Ten News! But I wish they came out on Thursdays AND Fridays. Keep up the good work and I LOVE the gaming episodes!” Thank you so much Archie, I don’t know if you know, but our deep dives come out once a month and usually drop on FRIDAYS. So, once a month we do have episodes on a Thursday and a Friday! 

PAM: And two extra notes for the grown-ups, you can now get ad-free versions of our episodes when you join the Ten’ers Club on our website. 

RYAN: And if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support!

PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.

RYAN: The Ten News creative team is thinking up some weird laws they can implement into the Ten News Studio and includes Tracey Not a Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas and Carson Not So Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen, Not Slowin Down for Anybody.

PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Albright, Albright, Albright! and show creator Tracy Takes the Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland.   

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, thanks for listening to the Ten News.