Open source tool can help identify gerrymandering in voting maps

With state legislatures preparing for the once-a-decade redrawing of voting districts, a research team has developed a better computational method to help identify improper gerrymandering designed to favor specific candidates or political parties. In a recent article, researchers describe the improved mathematical methodology of an open source tool called Gerrychain, which can help observers detect gerrymandering in a voting district plan by creating an ensemble of alternate maps that also meet legal voting criteria.