IMD Affiliates Organize “Mathematics of Elections, Fairness, and Representation” Workshop at the Banff International Research Station

IMD affiliates David McCune (William Jewell College), Jeanne Clelland (University of Colorado Boulder), Natasa Dragovic (University of Saint Thomas), Ismar Volić (Wellesley College) are co-organizing the “Mathematics of Elections, Fairness, and Representation” workshop at the Banff International Research Station from March 29 to April 3, 2026.

Over 40 researchers will present their work in mathematical political science, focusing on recent developments in the study of alternative voting methods and the creation of district electoral maps. Over the last 20 years, many jurisdictions in Canada and the United States have adopted or have considered adopting alternative voting methods such as ranked-choice voting for electing mayors, representatives, city council members, etc. There are many questions about such methods which can be analyzed mathematically. For example, does ranked-choice voting tend to elect candidates who are more centrist than candidates elected by more commonly-used methods like plurality? How can we best achieve proportional representation in a legislative body? What makes an election fair? There are many open problems around such questions, and this workshop hopes to make some progress on them using mathematical tools.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada’s Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Alberta’s Technology and Innovation.

Find out more about the event here