Visualizing Gerrymandering in LA

Redrawing Los Angeles: Visualizing the impact of gerrymandering on Los Angeles

Role: Animator, Researcher, Graphic Designer

Skills: Animation, Political Storytelling, User Research

Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe AfterEffects

Problem:

In Los Angeles, politicians redistrict, or “gerrymander”, to represent politically beneficial voter blocs. Communities and votes are split up, often impacting already underserved and underfunded communities. This change occurs over many years, and is diffcult to visualize.

Goal:

Animate the drastic impacts redistricting has on communities over time. I set out to answer the question — what groups are included when Los Angeles redistricts? And more importantly — what groups are excluded?

Solution:

1. Animate the boundary changes over the past 7 decades.
2. Depict the awkward changes in shape
3. Demonstrate the impact to Latinx and Korean communities

Approach

1. Research historical records

2. Outline digital spatial boundaries

3. Animate!

Digging through the archives:

The LA Times Archives holds district maps from 1952, 1965, 1986, and 2012. Using U.S. Census data, I further researched archives on which populations lived in each area and who was included and excluded in the district after each change.

1968 boundary change: 1968 heavily carved out Latinx communities, thereby diluting the Latinx vote.

1986 and 2012 changes: Split up the Korean community across several districts, weakening Korean voting power over time.