Prepare to have your political and mathematical skills put to the ultimate test. The Guardian has unleashed a devilishly clever puzzle that reveals the dark arts of electoral manipulation through the phenomenon known as gerrymandering.
The Art of Electoral Manipulation
Gerrymandering, the practice of drawing electoral boundaries to favour one party over another, is often discussed in political circles. But how does it actually work in practice? This puzzle transforms that complex political strategy into a tangible, and frankly addictive, mathematical challenge.
The Puzzle: A Battle of Colours
Imagine a grid representing a voting district, where each square signifies a voter—either Red or Blue. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to partition this grid into five constituencies of equal size. The catch? You must draw the boundaries to ensure your chosen colour wins the majority of seats, despite potentially having fewer overall voters.
The initial challenge: Manipulate the boundaries to make Red win three seats, even though Blue has more voters.
The advanced challenge: Achieve a clean sweep where Red wins all five seats, against all odds.
Why This Matters Beyond The Puzzle
This isn't just an intellectual exercise. Gerrymandering has real-world consequences, affecting the democratic process in countries worldwide. By engaging with this puzzle, you're not just solving a brain teaser—you're peering behind the curtain of political power games.
Did You Crack It?
The solution requires thinking like a seasoned political strategist. The key lies in concentrating your opponent's voters into a few overwhelming majorities, while spreading your own support just efficiently enough to secure narrow victories across multiple constituencies.
This puzzle brilliantly demonstrates how a party can win the majority of seats without winning the popular vote—a scenario that has played out in actual elections.
Whether you solved it or not, this exercise offers a fascinating glimpse into the mathematics of democracy and the ongoing battle for fair representation.
