State legislatures have traditionally controlled districting, with a decentralization of process and decision-making as to how they are drawn. And in recent years, technology has enabled a more complex system of gerrymandering that can challenge the principles of democracy. Indeed it could produce outcomes where the party with fewer votes has control of the democratic institution. How much have voting districts have been gerrymandered and how might it affect the upcoming elections? [ dur: 26mins. ]

• Christian Grose is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Southern California. He is the co-author of The Worst Partisan Gerrymanders in U.S. State Legislatures, A New Form of Gerrymandering Using CVAP? and Independent Redistricting Commissions Increase Voter Perceptions of Fairness
• Seth C. McKee is a Professor of Political Science at Oklahoma State University. He is the author of The Intersection of Redistricting, Race, and Participation , Political Conditions and the Electoral Effects of Redistricting and Redistricting does little to change which party people vote for, which can make partisan gerrymanders more effective.

Alaska’s recent special election produced a rare win for a Democrat, rather than a Republican for the state’s congressional seat. How much of it had to do with the voting process known as ranked-choice voting? Rank choice voting is meant to produce majoritarian outcomes in elections with multiple candidates. How exactly does this process work? And what are its implications for democracy? [ dur: 32mins. ]

• Rich Barton is Assistant Professor at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and Research Fellow at Unite America. He is the author of How Challenges In Primaries Shift The Policy Agenda Of Political Parties and The primary threat: How the surge of ideological challengers is exacerbating partisan polarization.
• Joseph Z. Coll is Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics at Sewanee: The University of the South. He is the author of Demographic Disparities Using Ranked-Choice Voting? Ranking Difficulty, Under-Voting, and the 2020 Democratic Primary and the co-author of Ranked Choice Voting and Youth Voter Turnout: The Roles of Campaign Civility and Candidate Contact.
• Todd Donovan is Professor of Political Science at Western Washington University. He is the author of Changing How America Votes and Self reported understanding of ranked choice voting and co-author of Self‐Reported Understanding of Ranked‐Choice Voting

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Mihika Chechi, Melissa Chiprin, and Sudd Dongre.

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