Bias in the ballot: how votemandering exploits gerrymandering and campaign strategies
研究了一种结合选区划分和针对性竞选的新策略“投票操纵”，通过数学建模分析其如何利用数据和算法在多个选举轮次中产生偏见性选举地图，并以威斯康星州参议院选区重划为例展示其潜力。
Abstract Gerrymandering—the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries for political advantage—is a persistent challenge in U.S. elections. In this work, we introduce and analyze Votemandering, a strategic blend of gerrymandering and targeted political campaigning devised to gain more seats by circumventing fairness measures. Votemandering leverages accurate demographic and socio-political data, bolstered by advancements in technology and data analytics, to influence voter decisions in pursuit of subtle gerrymandering strategies. We formulate votemandering as a Mixed Integer Program (MIP) that performs fairness-constrained gerrymandering over multiple election rounds. We analyze the influence of various redistricting constraints and parameters on votemandering efficacy. We explore the interconnectedness of gerrymandering, substantial campaign budgets, and strategic campaigning, illustrating their collective potential to generate biased electoral maps. A case study of Wisconsin State Senate redistricting reveals significant votemandering potential. Our findings underscore the need for reforms in the redistricting process beyond enforcing thresholds for specific fairness metrics.