Greater democracy through mathematics

[Translate to en:] Wer bei einer demokratischen Wahl das Kreuz für eine Kandidat
[Translate to en:] Wer bei einer demokratischen Wahl das Kreuz für eine Kandidatin oder einen Kandidaten setzt, geht davon aus, genauso viel Einfluss zu haben wie alle anderen Wähler. Deshalb sollten die Wahlkreise, gemessen an der Bevölkerung, möglichst gleich groß sein. (Foto: Fotolia/ Stockfotos-MG)
Research news

For democratic elections to be fair, voting districts must have similar sizes. When populations shift, districts need to be redistributed - a complex and, in many countries, controversial task when political parties attempt to influence redistricting. Mathematicians at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now developed a method that allows the efficient calculation of optimally sized voting districts.


When constituents cast their vote for a candidate, they assume it carries the same weight as that of the others. Voting districts should thus be sized equally according to population. ...
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