Democracy By Design: How AI is rewriting voting maps (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798265279149)

By the 1990s, the gerrymander had gone digital. Political consultants with powerful desktop computers could simulate voter behavior like never before. Instead of simply relying on census data, they began layering in consumer information, polling results, and even magazine subscriptions or church memberships - anything that hinted at political leanings.

Redistricting became a booming business. Specialized firms emerged to sell "turnkey" gerrymandering packages to whichever party held the pen after the census. Elections were increasingly being decided not on Election Day, but a decade earlier when new maps were drawn.

The phrase "politicians picking their voters" took on chilling new accuracy.