9 states redraw lines for 10% of US voters before Nov. 3 vote
Redrawn congressional maps in nine states place about 30 million voters in new districts for the Nov. 3 elections.
By William Turner ·
About one in 10 American voters will cast ballots in congressional districts that differ from the ones used in 2024, according to an Associated Press estimate. The shift touches more than 6.9 million voters in Texas, over 6.3 million in California, more than 4.5 million in Florida, and roughly 69% of voters in Utah.
Nine states will use new congressional maps on Nov. 3: Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. An Associated Press analysis found Republicans could gain up to nine House seats under the new maps, while Democrats could gain up to six. Most of the redrawn maps favor Republicans; California and Utah are the exceptions, where the changes could benefit Democrats.
Redistricting normally follows the census every 10 years. Several states moved up their changes this cycle amid the fight for control of the House. The Associated Press reports that the dispute over new maps began in Texas in 2025, when President Donald Trump urged Republicans to redesign congressional districts to improve the party's odds of holding the House.
Trump made the case on CNBC in August 2025. "We have a right to five more seats," he said, pointing to his 2024 presidential results in Texas. California responded by approving new maps that could deliver Democrats up to five additional House seats. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new map that improves Republican chances of winning four more seats.
Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee also changed their districts after an April Supreme Court decision that weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for districts with large minority populations. The AP reports that Utah's changes stem from a state court ruling.
Gerrymandering refers to drawing district boundaries to favor one party. One approach concentrates opposition voters into a small number of districts. Another spreads them across many districts to dilute their influence. A party that controls both the legislature and the governor's office, or holds a veto-proof majority, can draw maps to its advantage.
The Nov. 3 elections will use the redrawn maps in all nine states.
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