#HTE

How Politicians Use Geometry to Influence Election Results

For designers unhappy with current political events, it can be frustrating to not be able to use one’s skills to improve the situation. But while we may not be able to CAD our way into policy changes, one area where design can help is in the presentation of information.

Here’s a fine example. Seeking to explain the practice of gerrymandering (whereby politicians rearrange the boundaries of districts in order to benefit their chances of winning an election) to layfolk, Redditor N8theGr8 created this simple graphic:

The Washington Post had one of their graphic designers expand on it:

They also provided a graphic showing how this happens on a real map, indicating PA-7, a Pennsylvania Congressional district modified to be “one of the most geographically irregular districts in the nation” in order to benefit the party in power:

An organization called FairVote seeks to combat system-gaming like this, fighting “to make democracy fair, functional, and more representative.” It is the domain of activists to set up organizations like these. Perhaps design can help by creating informative graphics that help send citizens their way.