With a little imagination, it's easy to see that someone in power let their grandchild draw the current district maps for the state's seven seats in Congress.
One district looks like a duck.
Two Upstate districts mashed together resemble a leaping salmon.
There's an elephant hidden in the map of one of the most conservative Republican seats in the country.
Call it gerrymandering by crayon.
When the ongoing 2020 census is complete, the new population numbers will trigger a remapping of South Carolina's representative districts, something done every 10 years. Some still think the redrawing of seats should go into the hands of a nonpartisan body, instead of partisan lawmakers in the Republican-controlled S.C. Statehouse.
It's likely to never happen here. That's especially true after the U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled that federal courts aren't the proper venue to decide state gerrymandering grievances.
The odd shapes of South Carolina's seven congressional districts is proof enough gerrymandering is a factor in the state, as many of the lines don't follow natural geographic boundaries such as roads and rivers, creating odd shapes.
By definition, gerrymandering is the drawing of election districts in such a matter that it gives one party an advantage over the other by creating so-called "safe" seats.
It goes to the heart of the adage that "voters don't pick their candidates; candidates pick their voters."
Both sides do it, depending if they are a Red or Blue majority state.
Berkeley County Republican state Sen. Larry Grooms, a veteran of three previous remappings, said meetings on the new districts will probably begin in January with public hearings to come on setting priorities over such factors as splitting up cities and counties, race and defining communities of interest.
All the lines have to be set in time for the 2022 elections, and with a buffer in place for any court challenges.
Meanwhile, here's some Rorschach test-like maps of South Carolina's currently drawn congressional seats.
See if you agree with the figurative resemblances.
1st District
This is the formerly safe Republican seat now held by Democrat Rep. Joe Cunningham. It covers the lower part of the state's coast from around Charleston, Summerville and Berkeley County south to Hilton Head Island.
When the map is moved on its side, the district looks like a carpenter's plane, with the bottom containing the blade shaver aligning with the state's coastline and the "handle" representing inland Republican areas of Dorchester and Berkeley counties.
2nd District
This is the seat held by Republican Rep. Joe Wilson anchored around Aiken and Lexington counties.
The district resembles an elephant with a downward curled trunk, which is fitting since Wilson is one of Congress' most conservative members and an elephant is the symbol of the GOP.
Wilson is best known for yelling "You lie!" at President Barack Obama during a joint session of Congress in 2009.
3rd District
This seat in the western part of the state is currently held by Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan.
The district resembles a North Atlantic puffin, including with the bird's distinct rounded beak.
4th and 5th Districts (combined)
The 4th District is anchored around Greenville and Spartanburg and is currently held by Republican William Timmons.
The 5th District is more spread out, ranging from Rock Hill to Sumter, and is held by Republican Ralph Norman.
Viewed together, the conjoined districts resemble a leaping salmon.
6th District
This seat held by Democrat Jim Clyburn has the most edges of any on the state's congressional map and touches the most counties.
It looks like some sort of Halloween monster.
7th District
If it walks like a duck ...
This seat held by Republican Rep. Tom Rice of Myrtle Beach covers the northeastern corner of the state.
Lift the outline off the map and it looks like a duck or hunter's decoy.