FairVote Conference & Gala Update

Dear Friend of Fair Elections,

It is a time for innovation. It is a time to come together to work for transformative change.

In that spirit, I want you to join me in attending the Claim Democracy 2007 conference on November 9-11 in Washington, D.C. This gathering represents a remarkable opportunity to learn from and connect with a wide array of activists and thinkers, all dedicated to improving our democracy. FairVote has joined with dozens of leading reform and voting rights organizations to make this conference a resounding success. Register before November 1st to quality for an early bird conference rate.

In the midst of the conference, FairVote also will hold its 15th anniversary gala dinner on November 10th. Great leaders and reform heroes of our fifteen-year history will be on hand in a memorable opportunity to honor FairVote's accomplishments and support achieving reform vision for the future.

Finally, on Sunday the 11th, nearly all the top national and state leaders of campaigns for instant runoff voting and proportional voting will come together for a special training and strategy session, including state legislators, city councilors and campaign managers of winning efforts in Oakland, San Francisco, Pierce County (WA), Takoma Park (MD), Burlington (VT) and North Carolina. Space is limited — details below.

With the fractious state of today's politics, I believe that the time is ripe to work together to inspire and educate those who are eager to make a difference.

Please read more about the conference and gala below. I look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

John B. Anderson
FairVote Chairman

CLAIM DEMOCRACY 2007

Tired of elections you can't trust and elections without real choices? Ready to do something about money in politics and fair access to the polls? Do you want to help confront the challenges of the 2008 elections and seize new reform opportunities in 2009?

We and countless others from around the nation are with you. It's a perfect time to get informed, get connected and get active. Dozens of the nation's leading electoral reform, media reform and voting rights organizations (see below) have joined together for the Claim Democracy (www.claimdemocracy.com) conference on November 9th to 11th, conveniently located at the University of the District of Columbia.

This will be largest such gathering in years, and a unique opportunity to interact with activists and experts from across the nation. Claim Democracy will feature high-profile speakers, dozens of innovative breakouts, hands-on training sessions, and chances to engage one-on-one with leading reformers.

Headliners include former presidential candidates John Anderson and David Cobb, the New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg, MeetUp CEO Scott Heiferman, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights' Wade Henderson, D.C. city council chairman Vincent Gray, the Brennan Center's Deborah Goldberg, Americans for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist, former EAC commission Ray Martinez, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, and more.

But the conference is about more than insightful talks from national luminaries. It's about interacting with reform group leaders, attending breakouts on topics that really matter, talking one-on-one at tables from sponsoring groups and building the capacity and the connections to make a difference. See the full list of sponsoring organizations below.

For registration and hotel information and a complete conference schedule, visit www.ClaimDemocracy.com, and be sure to get the "early bird" registration rate by acting by October 31st.

FAIRVOTE'S 15th ANNIVERSARY GALA

On Saturday night, October 1, FairVote celebrates an important milestone with its 15th Anniversary Gala at Union Station. As we look back on fifteen years of progress and a future that gives us great hope, we will honor FairVote's chairman John Anderson and award the winner of FairVote's Upgrade Democracy Video Contest. See the program and learn how you join us by visiting http://archive.fairvote.org/gala - our host committee is listed below.

SUNDAY TRAINING AND STRATEGY SESSION

Sunday brings a unique and exciting opportunity to roll up your sleeves with serious reformers as FairVote holds a by-application-only, day-long work session on instant runoff voting and other ranked choice voting reforms. Leading IRV advocates from across the nation will be on hand to share their experiences, trade strategies, and begin formulating the best ways to push an effective pro-democracy agenda. To apply, click [HERE].

CLAIM DEMOCRACY CONFERENCE SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS

Advancement Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans for Campaign Reform, APRI-Delaware, Arizona Democracy Network, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Brennan Center, Californians for Electoral Reform, Campaign Against Violence, Campaign Legal Center, Century Foundation, Cities for Progress, Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota, Common Cause, DC Vote, Democracy Matters, Democracy North Carolina, Democracy South, Democracy Works, Demos, FairVote, FairVote Minnesota, Free Press, Fund for Constitutional Government, Global Exchange, Grassroots Leadership, Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, Immigrant Voting Project, Independent Progressive Politics Network (IPPN), Institute for Policy Studies, Justice at Stake, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Liberty Tree, MassVote, Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, Midwest States Center, National Civic League, National Popular Vote, New America Foundation, Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network, Ohio Citizen Action, Oiste, People for the American Way, Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC), Praxis Project, Prison Policy Initiative, Progressive States, Public Campaign, Reclaim Democracy, Sentencing Project, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Southwest Voter Research and Education Project, TrueVote Maryland, U.S. PIRG, Verified Voting, White House Project, Willie C. Velazquez Institute, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

FAIRVOTE GALA HOST COMMITTEE

Jonathan Allan Soros - Edward Hailes, Jr. - Malia Lazu - William Redpath Kathleen Spillar - David Wilner - Rashad Robinson - Cynthia Gibson - Pete Martineau - Kathleen L. Barber - Harriet Barlow - Jean Stein Matthew Cossolotto - Gene Eidenberg - Katrina vanden Heuvel - Conrad Martin - Miles Rapoport - Catherine Richie - Steven Silberstein - Steve Sleigh and Ann Greiner - Roy Ulrich - John Koza - Solange MacArthur - Jamin Raskin - Robert McKay - Marie Wilson - Daniel Solomon - Cynthia Terrell and Rob Richie - John Anderson - Larry and Cinthia Ottinger

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