About Us

The Data and Democracy Lab was founded circa 2016 as an informal research collective called the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group (MGGG). We now anchor the Data and Democracy Research Initiative within the Data Science Institute at the University of Chicago. The Lab is led by PI Moon Duchin. Our staff has expertise and interests spanning mathematics (geometry, topology, discrete math, dynamics), algorithms, software development, geography, science studies, and policy. We research data science interventions – better mechanisms, better models, better metrics – for democracy.

From 2018-2024, the Lab was based at the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, from 2024-2025 we were based at the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University. In the period following the 2020 Census release, we put major research effort into privacy protection in the Census, collection and aggregation of community maps, precinct collection, and tool development for commissions and litigation efforts.

Currently, our major research directions are

• algorithmic approaches to electoral redistricting;
• voting polarization and the Voting Rights Act; and
• applied modeling of ranked choice and other electoral systems under the umbrella of Structural Democracy.

For general inquiries: contact@mggg.org
For inquiries about the Districtr mapping tool: districtr@mggg.org