A Different Way to Draw the Map
For over two centuries, redistricting has been shaped by politics, negotiation, and competing interests. Even well-intentioned rules—like preserving communities or protecting representation—can introduce tradeoffs that are difficult to resolve fairly.
Georgiamander offers a different baseline:
A fully transparent, geography- and population-based method that draws districts using a consistent mathematical process—without regard to race, party, or incumbency. Districts form natural wedges—some narrow, some wide—reflecting how people are actually distributed across the state. But the process is simple, repeatable, and free from human discretion.
What Georgiamander is:
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A null model tool for transparency. Every line is neutral and reproducible and can be explained and audited
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Not a final political map. This is a neutral reference model—a starting point for understanding what districting looks like without subjective adjustments
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Not optimized for outcomes. It does not attempt to advantage or disadvantage any group
Why It Matters
Redistricting inevitably divides populations. The key question is not whether division occurs—but how.
Traditional approaches often rely on subjective decisions:
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Which communities should stay together?
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Which boundaries matter most?
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How should competing fairness criteria be balanced?
Georgiamander removes those decisions from the process.
Instead of asking who should be grouped together, it asks:
What happens when we apply a simple, neutral rule everywhere?
Districting Formula
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Start at the Geographic Center
Identify the geographic center and the population mean center of the state.
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Establish a Baseline Direction
Draw a line from the geographic center through the population mean center to the state boundary.
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Define the First District
Rotate outward from that line in both directions, capturing equal population segments that combine into one district.
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Assign Census Blocks
If a boundary intersects a census block, assign it to the district containing the majority of its area.
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Repeat Sequentially
Continue drawing radial slices from the center, each containing one district’s population.
What You’ll Notice
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Districts vary in shape because population density varies
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Urban areas produce narrower slices; rural areas produce wider ones
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No district is “designed”—each is the result of the same rule applied consistently
How to Use This
Georgiamander is best understood as a reference point:
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Compare it to existing maps
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Evaluate where and why differences occur
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Explore what adjustments are required to meet legal or policy goals
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Use it to ground discussions in something transparent and reproducible