Every 10 years, following the release of new census data, congressional seats are reapportioned based on changes in population.  And that’s where the political fun begins…

The latest census figures show that New York state’s population growth slowed in the last decade, and as a result the state is losing two seats in the Assembly. Under New York state law, each voting district population must be within 5 percent of the average district size, which is calculated by dividing New York’s total population by the number of Senate and House districts, give or take 5 percent. The redistricting process is designed to equally distribute political power and services among different communities — but lawmakers employ increasingly complex methods of gerrymandering to keep their constituents’ voting strength at the same level it was before redistricting.

Read the full story on MetroFocus.