Content Categorized with "Home"
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Maryland Gerrymander Triggers Support for Fair Voting
- Posted: October 18, 2011
- Categories: Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Home, Redistricting
The Maryland state senate today passed a proposed map for congressional redistricting that has been highly controversial for its gerrymandered district lines and disputes involving partisanship and race. State Senator Jamie Raskin, a constitutional law professor and former FairVote board member, made a well-received floor speech arguing that the best way to address the problem in the future was to put voters in charge over their representation. Raskin shared FairVote's plan for fair voting in super-districts with three and five members that would lead to nearly every voter being able to elect a favorite candidate.
FairVote is drawing such plans for all states in the nation. They could be established for congressional elections by repealing a 1967 law requiring winner-take-all districts.* Baltimore Sun on Sen. Raskin's speech* The congressional map as passed state senate* Example of Fair Voting plans for Ohio and North Carolina* Commentary from FairVote's Rob Richie and Krist Novoselic -
NPV Critic Response Series: Big Cities Won't Rule
- Posted: October 14, 2011
- Author(s): Katie P. Kelly
- Categories: National Popular Vote, Home
Recent arguments against the National Popular Vote plan for presidential elections have claimed that power would shift to big cities, thereby favoring Democrats. FairVote explains why these claims are wrong, backed by no facts, and based on false assumptions.
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Presidential Tracker: "Show Me the Money"
- Posted: October 14, 2011
- Author(s): Katie P. Kelly, Presidential Tracker
- Categories: Presidential Tracker, Home
Fundraising played a large role in the events of the past month, but swing state visits are also gearing up. Check out this update for an analysis of the latest visits and a color-coded map state events. The disparity between state visits just may surprise you.
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Low Voter Turnout in West Virginia's Special Election for Governor Part of Disturbing Pattern
- Posted: October 13, 2011
- Author(s): Christina Grier
- Categories: Home
Low voter turnout in elections is an ongoing problem in the United States, and is always expected to be lower during odd or special elections like the ones recently held in West Virginia, New York, and Nevada. Yet electoral participation is an outlet in which the citizen voice can be heard. What happens to the voice of the citizen when voters become so fed up with a broken system that they neglect their opportunity to vote? It is a concern when the electorate does not see elections as a way to fix government.
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Voter Fraud: Let's Modernize Voter Registration First
- Posted: October 13, 2011
- Author(s): Christina Grier
- Categories: Reforms, Universal Voter Registration, Home
A conference hosted by the Heritage Foundation focused on the importance of fair elections, in which implementing voter ID laws across the country would be essential. But when it comes to voter fraud, there are institutional barriers currently in place that if reformed, would help ensure that the integrity of the election process not be compromised in any way. Such reforms would alleviate the burdens put on voters, while handing over duties such as registering voters and updating registration rolls, over to the states and federal government.
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No More Gerrymanders: Ohio's GOP-centric Plan versus the FairVote Super District Alternative
- Posted: October 13, 2011
- Author(s): Lindsey Needham, Fair Voting Plans, Sheahan Virgin
- Categories: Home, Redistricting, Monopoly Politics 2012 Map
Controversies over redistricting in Ohio provide the latest evidence of the failure of winner-take-all, single member district rules. Read our latest addition in the fair voting blog series.
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A guide to French Socialists' presidential primary
- Posted: October 7, 2011
- Author(s): Hüseyin Koyuncu
- Categories: Europe, Home, Elections Worldwide
With less than one week until the first round of the socialist primaries on October 9, the haziness presently reigns about voter participation in the first-ever open primary.. According to a poll conducted by CSA (Conseil Social Analyse) 67% of supporters of the Socialist party (PS) admit to not knowing on which issues to vote during the primaries, which are to take place on October 9th and 16th.
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NPV Critic Response Series: The Electoral College
- Posted: October 6, 2011
- Author(s): Katie P. Kelly, Rob Richie
- Categories: National Popular Vote, Home
Critics of the National Popular Vote (NPV) plan often make misleading or misinformed remarks and judgments. To address these remarks, we are launching a new blog series designed to address the latest arguments from opponents. We start today by first reviewing some important features of the current Electoral College system and how those features influence our critique of current state laws governing modern elections. Subsequent posts will address arguments specifically and directly respond to new criticisms.
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Pennsylvanians oppose congressional district system - but also status quo
- Posted: September 29, 2011
- Author(s): Katie P. Kelly, Rob Richie
- Categories: National Popular Vote, Home
Poll numbers are useful in today's politics, but it is important to remember that the answers to other relevant questions may not always be present. Pennsylvanians oppose of Senate majority leader Dominic Pileggi’s proposal to allocate electoral votes by congressional district, but they also oppose the current system.
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Ranked Choice Voting in Action
- Posted: September 29, 2011
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting in Bay Area Elections, Ranked Choice Voting, Home
Ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting ensures that the candidate that wins an election wins the majority of the vote. Voters will use ranked choice voting this fall in several exciting races: wide-open elections for mayor in San Francisco (CA) and Portland (ME); the presidential race in Ireland; and for other city races in the U.S., including St. Paul (MN). New voter education initiatives are helping show how easy ranked choice voting is for voters, and there have been excellent media stories.