WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Court of the U.S. State of Pennsylvania on Monday released a new congressional district map, which has generated a gerrymandering debate because it may sway results in the upcoming midterm elections.
The new map is a reversal from a 2011 version. Thirteen instead of 28 counties are featured on the new map, making the congressional districts less fractured.
"The Remedial Plan is superior or comparable to all plans submitted by the parties, the intervenors, and amici, by whichever Census-provided definition one employs," the court wrote in its order.
The new map came weeks after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the 2011 map was "unconstitutional partisan gerrymander," and was developed to the effect that each district has the same number of constituents.
The changes in the new map were generally in favor of the Democrats, so the Republicans have vowed to take the case to federal courts.
The Democratic Party may capitalize on the new electoral map and gain ground in the House of Representatives during the midterm elections. Analysts says clutching the House majority is not an unrealistic goal.
The practice of gerrymandering involves restructuring electoral maps to gain an advantage for one particular party. A party may try to unite regions where it enjoys support to form one district, or to split regions that support the opposing party into different districts.
Gerrymandering is considered by many countries as an infraction of the voting system. In the United States, each state has its own regulations to restrict the practice.
