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The process of redistricting, which involves redrawing the 435 congressional districts across the United States, has been a part of American history since the colonial era. Every 10 years, as the population changes, each district is redrawn based on population to ensure roughly equal representation in legislative bodies like the U.S. House of Representatives. Traditionally, the redrawing is done every ten years in conjunction with the U.S. Census.Sometimes, when drawing districts, lawmakers get creative. This practice started in 1812 when Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry redrew state senate districts to benefit his party, the Democratic-Republicans. Some thought the shape resembled a salamander, leading a newspaper to dub it the "Gerry-mander," a term that has stuck. Today, most congressional districts across the country take on interesting shapes, but it is important to note that not all oddly shaped districts are gerrymandered.According to the Brennan Center for Justice, a gerrymandered district has been "waylaid by racial discrimination and partisan manipulation," drawn by people trying to provide certain groups with advantages and others with disadvantages. Gerrymandering due to politics is not against the law, but drawing race-based districts is. Proving the difference in court can be difficult, as race and politics often go hand-in-hand.Voting rights advocacy groups have called for independent commissions to draw district lines and prevent gerrymandering across the board. Some states, including California, Michigan, Arizona, and Colorado, have independent commissions. However, most redistricting powers currently remain in the hands of state and local lawmakers.