Three siblings from Austin, Texas are set to make cash off of gerrymandering. No, they're not running for office; they're creating a board game called Mapmaker that educates people about the very serious political game of manipulating voting district boundaries.
It's not a sexy topic for many or one that is easy to understand. But if a game will do it, then why not?
"First and foremost, we want to teach politicians that gerrymandering is not a game and politicians should not be choosing voters," says Mapmaker co-creator Josh Lafair.
It’s a timely product to role out as gerrymandering takes up more headline space across the nation.
For example, on the November 6 ballot, Michigan voters will decide whether to support creating a 13-member citizens' gerrymandering commission to redraw the state’s political lines. It is a pivot away from using the party in power in the legislature.
And in June, the Supreme Court ruled against a request by Maryland Republicans to reject an unfairly crafted district map that benefits Democrats. At the same time, the high court ruled against the Democrats who challenged a Republican-drawn Wisconsin map.
LaFair along with his two siblings, Louis and Rebecca, developed the plan after finding themselves alarmed at how politicians manipulated votes. Word has spread so fast that even former California Governor and muscle man Arnold Schwarzenegger is on board.
Pumped up to get my prototype of @MapmakerGame to play with my team! Much better than a smoky backroom where politicians scam voters. Get yours now and support these great, engaged students who are educating people about gerrymandering! https://t.co/KIRDLdIEvbpic.twitter.com/3d4eWqKooR
The Institute for Mathematics and Democracy (IMD) has released what may be the most comprehensive empirical study of ranked choice voting ever conducted. The 66-page report analyzes nearly 4,000 real-world ranked ballot elections, including some 2,000 political elections, and more than 60 million simulated ones to test how different voting methods perform....
California’s 67th Assembly District stretches across parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties, connecting some of the region’s most dynamic and diverse suburban communities. It includes the entire cities of Cerritos, La Palma, Hawaiian Gardens, Artesia, Buena Park, and Cypress, as well as portions of Fullerton and Anaheim....
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration will officially move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, a decision that marks the most significant change to U.S. drug policy since the early 1970s....
Lindsay France
