The Balanced Votes Method: A new perspective on symmetry in creating fair redistricting plans and measuring gerrymandering

Abstract

Last decade’s unprecedented whirlwind of redistricting lawsuits and reforms have fallen behind us as redistricters shift their focus to tomorrow’s elections. This decade’s redistricting plans will be scrutinized more than ever, and the public’s perception of these new plans is vital to their acceptance. This article presents the Balanced Votes (BV) method and the Weighted Districts Method (WDM). The BV method measures the partisan fairness of a redistricting plan and creates ‘dot plots’ which show each district’s benefit/harm in relation to the overall plan. BV dot plots provide comparisons of plans (1) within a state, (2) between states, and (3) between different election cycles. The BV method mathematically derives the cutoff points for packed districts, the value of packed districts, and the value of safe seats. The BV also derives a measure of competitive districts. The BV method accomplishes this by evaluating a redistricting plan from its two independent symmetry points: the statewide vote share, and the fifty-percent winner’s threshold. To aid the general public, this article derives a user-friendly approximation to the BV method, the Weighted Districts Method (WDM). Since WDM dot plots are easy to interpret, they provide a conduit for conversation between redistricters and constituents, or justices as the case may be. The WDM dot plots can be created and evaluated by any citizen using only a pen and a blank WDM weighting function (supplied in the appendix). Most importantly, the BV and WDM methods measure districts, not seats.