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 Government & Education I Economics & Public Finance I Health & Human Services I Nonprofits & Communities

Livingston County Weighted Voting

Apportionment Plan based on 2020 Population

Understanding the Banzhaf Index
In a voting assembly,
If you represent 2.1% of
representatives should have
people, should have 2.1% of
power in proportion to the
power, etc.
number of people they represent.

However, if votes are simply assigned based on percent of

population, some small entities may get no effective power
and some large entities may get disproportionate veto power.

This is used to assign

Banzhaf Index scores are used to
weighted votes to each
indicate percentage of power:
representative: Banzhaf %
what percentage of the time a
should be as close as
voting representative can cast
possible to population % for
the deciding (swing) vote.
each entity.

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Determining weighted votes
• There is no perfect
solution for optimally
distributing weighted
votes to all without
using fractional votes.
• “Squeezing the balloon”
problem:
• Making Banzhaf % closer
to pop % (more fair)
for one group by them
giving more votes
may make it less fair for
other groups.
• Goal: make it most fair for
largest number of districts

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Measuring plans
• Two possible solutions:
1. Make most fair for entire group by reducing
total sum of discrepancies btw Banzhaf
score and pop %
E.g., must be under 10 percentage points in sum

2. Make most fair for each entity by reducing

total range of individual discrepancies of
Banzhaf score from pop %
E.g., must be less than 10 points of range in
discrepancy

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Adjusted Population
• NYS law requires that Town
2020
Census
2020
Adjusted
Adjust-
population counts used ment
Pop Population
for local redistricting Avon 6,939 6,945 6
take into account the Caledonia 4,154 4,158 4
residence of record for Conesus 2,320 2,322 2
Geneseo 10,234 10,242 8
state-incarcerated
Groveland 2,316 1,464 (852)
persons prior to Leicester 2,082 2,087 5
incarceration. Lima 4,154 4,156 2
• Those individuals are Livonia 7,497 7,508 11
then counted at the Mt. Morris 4,435 4,452 17
residence of record N. Dansville 5,321 5,341 20
Nunda 2,688 2,695 7
rather than in the facility. Ossian 724 725 1
• For 2020, this process Portage 763 765 2
reduces the population Sparta 1,583 1,583 -
of Livingston County Springwater 2,286 2,292 6
from 61,834 to 61,079. W. Sparta 1,156 1,157 1
York 3,182 3,187 5
TOTAL COUNTY 61,834 61,079 (755)

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Methodology

Tested more than ten thousand

combinations of weighted votes

Determined lowest total sum of

discrepancies

Key metrics for new voting schemes

show an improvement on current
voting schemes

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Comparing plans

Two values are important to

compare:
• “SAV” = the total Sum of the Absolute Values
of all discrepancies. This sum should be
minimized to reduce discrepancies.

• “RNG” = the Range of discrepancies from the

lowest negative value, to the highest positive
value. This range should be minimized to
reduce discrepancies.

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Weighted Vote Plan based on 2020 Census

New Simple
SAV is 63% RNG is 56%
Majority improved improved
Plan

New 2/3
SAV is 59% RNG is 29%
Majority improved improved
Plan

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 Weighted Voting Comparison
Recommended Weighted Votes Current Current
Adjusted Recommended Population
(2020 population) Recommended Weighted Weighted
Population Weighted Vote 2013 Vote
vs. Weighted Vote Vote Vote (Two-
2020 (Two-thirds Apportion-
Current Weighted Votes (Simple Majority) (Simple thirds
Census Majority) ment
(2010 population) Majority) Majority)
Avon 6,945 568 435 7,164 224 226
Caledonia 4,158 352 262 4,255 137 135
Conesus 2,322 198 146 2,473 80 79
Geneseo 10,242 785 687 10,483 308 354
Groveland 1,464 126 93 1,493 49 47
Leicester 2,087 179 132 2,200 72 70
Lima 4,156 352 262 4,305 139 136
Livonia 7,508 610 469 7,809 242 247
Mount Morris 4,452 375 280 4,465 144 142
North Dansville 5,341 447 336 5,538 177 176
Nunda 2,695 230 170 3,064 99 98
Ossian 725 62 46 789 26 25
Portage 765 67 48 884 29 28
Sparta 1,583 136 100 1,624 53 51
Springwater 2,292 196 144 2,439 79 78
West Sparta 1,157 101 74 1,255 41 40
York 3,187 270 200 3,397 110 108
Total/Average 2,009 2,040
5,054 3,884
(Total population adjusted at (Quota for (Quota for
61,079 (Quota for (Quota for 63,637
each town and county a net of winning: winning:
winning: 2,528) winning: 2,590)
negative 755) 1,005) 1,360)

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 CGR Recommended Simple Majority Plan
% of
2020 CGR Recommended Voting
Weighted People % of % of
Simple Majority Plan Population Power
Vote per vote Population discrepancy
(Quota for Passage: 2,528) (Banzhaf
Index)
Avon 6,945 568 12.2 11.37 11.36 -0.10%
Caledonia 4,158 352 11.8 6.81 6.81 0.00%
Conesus 2,322 198 11.7 3.80 3.80 -0.11%
Geneseo 10,242 785 13.0 16.77 16.77 0.01%
Groveland 1,464 126 11.6 2.40 2.40 0.05%
Leicester 2,087 179 11.7 3.42 3.42 0.22%
Lima 4,156 352 11.8 6.80 6.81 0.05%
Livonia 7,508 610 12.3 12.29 12.27 -0.18%
Mount Morris 4,452 375 11.9 7.29 7.28 -0.06%
North Dansville 5,341 447 11.9 8.74 8.75 0.10%
Nunda 2,695 230 11.7 4.41 4.41 -0.07%
Ossian 725 62 11.7 1.19 1.19 0.24%
Portage 765 67 11.4 1.25 1.25 0.11%
Sparta 1,583 136 11.6 2.59 2.60 0.21%
Springwater 2,292 196 11.7 3.75 3.75 0.00%
West Sparta 1,157 101 11.5 1.89 1.91 0.67%
York 3,187 270 11.8 5.22 5.22 -0.03%
SAV 2.23%
Total/Average 61,079 5,054 12.1 100.00 100.00
RNG 0.85%

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 2013 Simple Majority Plan
% of
2013 Current Voting
Weighted People per % of % of
Simple Majority Plan Population Power
Vote vote Population discrepancy
(Quota for Passage: 1,005) (Banzhaf
Index)
Avon 7,164 224 32.0 11.26 11.26 -0.02%
Caledonia 4,255 137 31.1 6.69 6.67 -0.22%
Conesus 2,473 80 30.9 3.89 3.86 -0.72%
Geneseo 10,483 308 34.0 16.47 16.52 0.30%
Groveland 1,493 49 30.5 2.35 2.35 0.35%
Leicester 2,200 72 30.6 3.46 3.46 0.16%
Lima 4,305 139 31.0 6.76 6.78 0.21%
Livonia 7,809 242 32.3 12.27 12.27 -0.01%
Mount Morris 4,465 144 31.0 7.02 7.02 0.12%
North Dansville 5,538 177 31.3 8.70 8.72 0.24%
Nunda 3,064 99 30.9 4.81 4.78 -0.65%
Ossian 789 26 30.3 1.24 1.25 1.21%
Portage 884 29 30.5 1.39 1.39 0.31%
Sparta 1,624 53 30.6 2.55 2.55 -0.21%
Springwater 2,439 79 30.9 3.83 3.81 -0.67%
West Sparta 1,255 41 30.6 1.97 1.96 -0.56%
York 3,397 110 30.9 5.34 5.33 -0.13%
SAV 6.09%
Total/Average 63,637 2009 31.7 100.00 100.00
RNG 1.92%

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 CGR Recommended 2/3 Majority Plan
% of
2020 CGR Recommended Voting
Weighted People % of % of
2/3 Majority Plan Population Power
Vote per vote Population discrepancy
(Quota for Passage: 2,590) (Banzhaf
Index)
Avon 6,945 435 15.97 11.37 11.38 0.07%
Caledonia 4,158 262 15.87 6.81 6.81 0.03%
Conesus 2,322 146 15.90 3.80 3.80 -0.05%
Geneseo 10,242 687 14.91 16.77 16.76 -0.08%
Groveland 1,464 93 15.74 2.40 2.40 0.31%
Leicester 2,087 132 15.81 3.42 3.41 -0.07%
Lima 4,156 262 15.86 6.80 6.81 0.08%
Livonia 7,508 469 16.01 12.29 12.28 -0.13%
Mount Morris 4,452 280 15.90 7.29 7.29 0.00%
North Dansville 5,341 336 15.90 8.74 8.74 -0.04%
Nunda 2,695 170 15.85 4.41 4.41 -0.08%
Ossian 725 46 15.76 1.19 1.19 0.29%
Portage 765 48 15.94 1.25 1.25 0.09%
Sparta 1,583 100 15.83 2.59 2.59 0.08%
Springwater 2,292 144 15.92 3.75 3.75 -0.05%
West Sparta 1,157 74 15.64 1.89 1.91 0.80%
York 3,187 200 15.94 5.22 5.22 -0.05%
SAV 2.33%
Total/Average 61,079 3,884 15.8 100.00 100.00
RNG 0.93%

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 2013 2/3 Majority Plan
% of
2013 Current Voting
Weighted People per % of % of
2/3 Majority Plan Population Power
Vote vote Population discrepancy
(Quota for Passage: 1,360) (Banzhaf
Index)
Avon 7,164 226 31.7 11.26 11.22 -0.37%
Caledonia 4,255 135 31.5 6.69 6.68 -0.12%
Conesus 2,473 79 31.3 3.89 3.92 0.79%
Geneseo 10,483 354 29.6 16.47 16.44 -0.20%
Groveland 1,493 47 31.8 2.35 2.35 0.21%
Leicester 2,200 70 31.4 3.46 3.45 -0.13%
Lima 4,305 136 31.7 6.76 6.74 -0.38%
Livonia 7,809 247 31.6 12.27 12.27 0.03%
Mount Morris 4,465 142 31.4 7.02 7.01 -0.03%
North Dansville 5,538 176 31.5 8.70 8.71 0.09%
Nunda 3,064 98 31.3 4.81 4.85 0.68%
Ossian 789 25 31.6 1.24 1.25 0.93%
Portage 884 28 31.6 1.39 1.40 0.49%
Sparta 1,624 51 31.8 2.55 2.55 -0.05%
Springwater 2,439 78 31.3 3.83 3.86 0.77%
West Sparta 1,255 40 31.4 1.97 1.97 -0.20%
York 3,397 108 31.5 5.34 5.33 -0.15%
SAV 5.62%
Total/Average 63,637 2,040 31.4 100.00 100.00
RNG 1.31%

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Scatter Plot:
CGR Simple Majority vs. 2013 Simple Majority

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Scatter Plot:
CGR 2/3 Majority vs. 2013 2/3 Majority

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