Bizarre Shapes and Partisan Gerrymandering: A Case Study in Maryland

Maryland’s congressional redistricting is another commonly cited example of gerrymandering given the complicated shapes behind its districts. But is this a case of partisan gerrymandering, or is it something else?

This project was the result of a group of students for Duke’s Data+ Program in the Summer of 2018. Maryland has little in the ways of in-state rules for drawing redistrictings, even allowing for landmasses separated by the Chesapeake to be included in the same districting. Given the somewhat bizarre shapes of its districts, it is natural to ask whether there is gerrymandering involved, and of what particular nature.

The results will be made available in the future.