In 1986 the Black Political Task Force joined forces with the Rainbow Coalition, the Massachusetts Latino Democratic Committee, and the Asian Political Caucus to challenge the redistricting plan put forth by the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Redistricting is the process by which city, state, and federal districts are drawn, based upon shifts in the population. The Task Force charged that the redistricting plan did not reflect the increases in the African-American and Hispanic communities shown in the most recent census. The Task Force also charged that the plan violated the constitutional guarantee of one person/one vote and diluted voter strength by 'packing' Blacks in specific areas and 'cracking' Hispanics in areas throughout the city (a practice known as gerrymandering). This successful challenge led to the creation of a new district, the Fifth Suffolk District, from which the first Hispanic State Representative, Nelson Merced was elected.