Across the nation, several states are in a heated redistricting battle, in which lawmakers are redrawing congressional district maps to benefit either the Republican or Democratic parties.

(Video Above: What California voters should know for Prop 50 special election)

As each state makes national headlines with its redistricting pushes, you may have heard the term "gerrymandering." So what is it?

Gerrymandering is the process of manipulating electoral boundaries in order to favor one political party or class.

"Elections are supposed to produce results that reflect the preferences of voters. But when maps are gerrymandered, politicians and the powerful choose voters instead of voters choosing politicians," the Brennan Center for Justice explains.

The origin of the word goes hand-in-

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