Fair Maps? Algorithms May Be the Answer

In this informative and colorful short course, Dr. Petering discusses the who, what, where, when and why of Wisconsin political redistricting in 2024. After reviewing Wisconsin’s redistricting timeline during the past year, we go back to the basics. What is redistricting? Why is it important? What is gerrymandering? Is it a problem? We then learn about the technical challenges faced by mapmakers and why drawing a fair Wisconsin map is so difficult. Given the complexity of redistricting work, Dr. Petering advocates using advanced computer algorithms to generate optimized maps based on objective criteria. After learning the basics of Petering’s “FastMap” algorithm, we look at the seven map proposals that were submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Jan. 12, 2024 in the case “Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission.” A comparison of Petering’s “FastMap“ proposal to the other six proposals offers insights into the advantages of algorithmic mapmaking.