1. What is the Efficiency Gap?

The Efficiency Gap is a measure of electoral seat-vote proportionality that quantifies the difference in wasted votes between political parties. It helps identify gerrymandering by showing how efficiently votes are distributed across districts.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Efficiency Gap formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Wasted Votes}_D \) — Wasted votes for Democratic party (votes)
• \( \text{Wasted Votes}_R \) — Wasted votes for Republican party (votes)
• \( \text{Total Votes} \) — Total number of votes cast (votes)

Explanation: Wasted votes are defined as votes cast for a losing candidate plus votes cast for a winning candidate beyond what was needed to win. The efficiency gap measures the difference in wasted vote proportions between parties.

3. Importance of Efficiency Gap Calculation

Details: The Efficiency Gap is crucial for analyzing electoral fairness and detecting gerrymandering. A large efficiency gap suggests that district boundaries may be drawn to favor one political party over another, potentially undermining democratic representation.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter wasted votes for Democratic and Republican parties in votes, and total votes cast. All values must be valid (total votes > 0, wasted votes ≥ 0).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What constitutes a "wasted vote"?
A: A wasted vote is either a vote for a losing candidate or a vote for a winning candidate beyond the minimum needed to win (typically 50% + 1 vote in a two-party system).

Q2: What is considered a significant efficiency gap?
A: An efficiency gap of 7-8% or more is often considered evidence of gerrymandering, though context and historical patterns should also be considered.

Q3: How does the efficiency gap relate to gerrymandering?
A: A large efficiency gap suggests that district boundaries may be manipulated to concentrate opposition votes in few districts (packing) or spread them thinly across many districts (cracking).

Q4: Are there limitations to the efficiency gap measure?
A: Yes, it can be sensitive to voter turnout, doesn't account for competitive elections well, and may not capture all forms of gerrymandering. It should be used alongside other metrics.

Q5: Can this be applied to multi-party systems?
A: The efficiency gap was designed for two-party systems. Applying it to multi-party systems requires modifications and may be less reliable.