Fact check: When is the last time massachusetts was gerrymandered

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, Massachusetts has a complex relationship with gerrymandering that spans from its historical origins to modern redistricting practices. The term "gerrymander" itself originated in Massachusetts when it was first used on March 26, 1812, in the Boston Gazette, in reaction to the redrawing of Massachusetts state senate election districts under Gov. Elbridge Gerry in 1812 ^[1]. This 1812 Massachusetts gerrymandering was notably brazen about contorting districts into odd shapes to maximize a party's gain ^[2].

The most recent redistricting in Massachusetts occurred in 2021 following the 2020 census. Gov. Charlie Baker signed the state's new congressional maps into law on November 22, 2021, and the state's new legislative maps into law on November 4, 2021 ^[3]. The redistricting process was completed relatively quickly, with the legislature beginning consideration of redistricting plans on October 19, 2021 ^[3]. The Massachusetts General Court draws and enacts both congressional and legislative plans, subject to the Governor's veto ^[4].

Regarding current gerrymandering status, the 2022 congressional redistricting involved only minor changes to the previous version and did not indicate any significant gerrymandering ^[5]. Furthermore, Massachusetts appears to be one of the states where the distribution of voters, rather than malfeasance by map drawers, causes the lack of Republican seats, with none of the thousands of alternative plans reviewed for the state resulting in low levels of partisan bias ^[6].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important contextual elements:

• Historical significance: The question doesn't acknowledge that Massachusetts is the birthplace of gerrymandering as a political practice and term, making it historically significant in discussions of redistricting manipulation ^{[1] [2]}.
• Technical vs. political gerrymandering distinction: The analyses suggest there's a difference between technical redistricting (which happens every decade) and actual gerrymandering for partisan advantage. The 2021 redistricting appears to fall into the former category ^{[3] [5]}.
• Redistricting timeline complications: The question doesn't account for the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in census data delivery, which impacted redistricting timelines across states, including Massachusetts ^[7].
• Current political landscape: Massachusetts' current district configuration may appear to favor one party, but this could be due to natural voter distribution rather than intentional gerrymandering ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain explicit misinformation, but it assumes that Massachusetts has been recently gerrymandered without evidence. The phrasing "when is the last time" implies that gerrymandering has definitely occurred recently, when the evidence suggests:

• The most recent redistricting ^[8] involved only minor changes and doesn't appear to constitute gerrymandering in the traditional sense ^[5]
• Academic analysis suggests that Massachusetts' partisan outcomes are due to voter distribution rather than manipulative map-drawing ^[6]
• The question conflates routine redistricting with gerrymandering, which are distinct processes

The question may inadvertently perpetuate the assumption that all redistricting constitutes gerrymandering, when the evidence suggests Massachusetts' current maps reflect demographic realities rather than partisan manipulation.