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From Crayons to Computers

The Evolution of Computer Use in Redistricting

Harvard University

Karin MacDonald

University of California, Berkeley

Michael McDonald

George Mason University

Following the most recent round of redistricting, observers across the political spectrum warned that computing technology had fundamentally changed redistricting, for the worse. They are concerned that computers enable the creation of finely crafted redistricting plans that promote partisan and career goals, to the detriment of electoral competition, and that, ultimately, thwart voters’ ability to express their will through the ballot box. In this article, we provide an overview of the use of computers in redistricting, from the earliest reports of their utilization, through today. We then report responses to our survey of state redistricting authorities’computer use in 1991 and 2001. With these data, we assess the use of computers in redistricting, and the fundamental capabilities of computer redistricting systems.

Key Words: redistricting • gerrymanders • information technology • computer systems • software • automated redistricting

Social Science Computer Review, Vol. 23, No. 3, 334-346 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0894439305275855


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