- Series
- ACO Student Seminar
- Time
- Friday, September 9, 2022 - 1:00pm for 1 hour (actually 50 minutes)
- Location
- Skiles 005
- Speaker
- Cyrus Hettle – Georgia Tech Math – chettle@gatech.edu – https://sites.gatech.edu/cyrushettle/
- Organizer
- Abhishek Dhawan
While gerrymandering has been widely suspected in Georgia for years, it has been difficult to quantify. We generate a large ensemble of randomly generated non-partisan maps that are sampled from a probability distribution which respects the geographical constraints of the redistricting process. Using a Markov chain Monte Carlo process and techniques involving spanning trees, we can quickly generate a robust set of plans.
Based on historical voting data, we compare the Georgia congressional redistricting plan enacted in 2021 with the non-partisan maps. We find that the 2021 plan will likely be highly non-responsive to changing opinions of the electorate, unlike the plans in the ensemble. Using additional spatial analysis, we highlight areas where the map has been redrawn to weaken the influence of Democratic voters.
This talk is based on joint work with Swati Gupta, Gregory Herschlag, Jonathan Mattingly, Dana Randall, and Zhanzhan Zhao.