Draw Map, Move Goal Post
How to Win by Wasting Votes
We use Gerrymandering as the example here. Which draw map to waste votes for other parties.
The Goal: Waste the Other Side's Votes
The single goal is to make your opponent's votes wasted. This is done by drawing district lines so the other party either:
- Wins by too much: They get 80-90% of the vote in a few districts. All votes above the 51% needed to win are wasted.
- Loses by inch: They get 40-49% of the vote in many districts. All of those votes are wasted.
The result: The majority of vote for other party cease to exist. You don't have to gather votes to win, just erase others'.
Not a Bug, It's a Feature
Gerrymandering has been a known problem for over 200 years. Politicians could fix it, but they don't.
Why? Because it keeps them in power.
For the politician, it is not a bug—it is a feature of the system. They are not being evil; they are being rational players in a game that rewards them for rigging the map.