A group of SMU mathematicians and one philosopher are using math to measure how biased voting district maps are in Texas.
The group, called Math for Unbiased Maps in Texas, uses software that generates millions of maps to compare with proposed district maps, creating an opportunity for greater accountability in redistricting.
Every 10 years, after the U.S. census, states use data on race, Hispanic origin and the voting-age population to redraw the boundaries of their congressional and state legislative districts.
In Texas, Republicans control the redistricting process because of their majorities in the House and the Senate.
Legislators use gerrymandering, or the practice of dividing election districts in a way that gives one political party an advantage, to manipulate these maps. This practice has been used by U.S. politicians for about as long as our country has existed.
But just how biased have modern-day maps become in the state of Texas? The map that was approved last October is so highly biased, it is quite literally off the charts, according to the SMU findings. READ MORE