Jornal da Globo series shows how changes in electoral rules favor parties in the USA; WATCH VIDEOS

The series explains how the American electoral system works and how the redrawing of district maps can favor candidates from one party or make it difficult to elect representatives of certain groups of the population. The dispute gained strength with the attempt by Donald Trump's government to preserve the Republican majority in the House of Representatives and with the reaction of Democrats in states where they have political strength.

Conflict also involves Supreme Court decisions, voting rules and measures that may hinder access to the polls. The reports show the effects of these changes in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, in addition to hearing from residents, experts and organizations that work to defend voting rights.

The first episode presents the dispute for seats in the American Congress and explains how the redrawing of electoral districts can influence the result of mid-term elections, known as *midterms*. The report shows how the practice of *gerrymandering* — changing district boundaries to favor one party — has become one of the main weapons in political disputes.

The Republicans' strategy to try to maintain the majority in the Chamber, with changes to the electoral maps in allied states such as Texas, is also presented. In response, Democrats are betting on similar measures in states where they have an advantage, such as California. Political scientist Alex Keena explains how, in this system, politicians can end up choosing their own voters.

The second episode shows how changes to the Texas electoral map could reduce the influence of Latino voters in elections for the House of Representatives. The state, which has 38 seats in Congress, redrawn almost all districts in an initiative by the Republican majority in the Legislative Assembly to try to win up to five additional seats.

The report follows the case of District 32, in Dallas, which had its configuration changed and now includes the conservative city of Gilmer, around 200 kilometers away. With the change, the proportion of Latino voters fell from 36% to 24.5%. Residents and experts warn that voter fragmentation could reduce political representation and discourage participation in the polls.

The third episode addresses the effects of an American Supreme Court decision on the representation of the black population in Louisiana. Although black people make up about a third of the state's residents, they historically had a majority in just one of the six congressional districts.

In 2024, the Supreme Court invalidated the creation of a second black-majority district, which had been established after a legal dispute based on the Electoral Rights Act of 1965. The decision reestablished a map considered favorable to Republicans and reignited the debate over the protection of minorities' political rights. The report also rescues the story of Leona Tate, one of four girls who joined a school that was previously exclusive to whites in 1960 and who today works to encourage electoral participation.

The fourth episode shows how voting restrictions and changes to electoral rules can complement the redrawing of districts in the race for American Congress. The report follows the Alabama case, where the Supreme Court reversed the creation of a second black-majority district, following the Louisiana precedent.

The episode also addresses proposals to restrict voting by mail, intensify voter citizenship checks and reduce the number of polling places. In Texas, for example, the closure of polling stations in areas with a large presence of black and Latino voters is highlighted as a concern.