Would this be classed as an example of
vote rigging ?
Anyone who has a problem with this very common political tactic would be uncomfortable in Louisiana. Most of our Congressional delegation owe their election to mysterious donors who back candidates that are likely to split the opposition vote.
It's the complicating incident in Robert Penn Warren's book, All the King's Men, and I'm sure Warren didn't invent the idea.
My Congressman, Garret Graves won his first election to the House when a second black candidate appeared just before the filing deadline. It was a close run race in a district gerrymandered to collect white voters and dilute black voters. Those who follow these things will know that Garret has discovered that gerrymandering works both ways and he won't be returning after the next election.
Side note: Garret found himself on the wrong side of GOP history when he backed Kevin McCarthy against the MAGA caucus. When Louisiana was forced to redraw its Congressional districts to create a second majority black voter district, Garret discovered someone had pinned a "Kick me out" sign to his back.
It was a generation ago when conservatives realized their demographic was shrinking and they faced perpetual political minority. The consequences would be a gradual decline in influence, while the general population benefited from a government less inclined to grant tax breaks to corporations and billionaires. This spurred a long term strategy to take control of State legislatures, which is where Congressional districts boundaries are drawn. It was fairly successful, as a strategy and is a good illustration of the warning, "Be careful for what wish." The end result is Marjorie Taylor Green and Matt Gaetz.
Conservative voters are a minority in the US and they know it. They also know that gerrymandering and voter suppression are the only way their candidates can prevail. That strategy has run it's course. A "free and fair" election guarantees defeat and they know it. This is why we hear so much bullshit about free and fair elections from Trump's supporters. They have to create doubt in the results of any election, before any votes are cast, because they expect to lose.
