WASHINGTON, DC - FairVote, a national election reform group, greeted a new year with new leadership today, tapping former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic to chair its Board of Directors. The position had been held for the past decade by former Congressman and 1980 independent presidential candidate John B. Anderson.

A long-time FairVote ally and a board member since 2005, Novoselic welcomed his new responsibility. "Most of our elections are uncompetitive, lack winners with a majority of the vote, and discourage voter choice and participation. These coming years are critical ones for advancing positive reforms that bring more choices and new voices into our politics. I am ready to lead FairVote, building on its recent string of reform victories.”

In addition to his duties as chair of the board, Novoselic will frequently speak, write and blog on behalf of FairVote and the cause of opening up our democracy."

John Anderson remains active on FairVote’s board and will have the title of Chairman Emeritus. On behalf of the board Anderson applauded the board’s decision to select Novoselic. "Krist sees the urgency of changing our democracy for the better – for all of us, but particularly young Americans seeking to build a better future.”

After his ground-breaking work in the seminal 1990s band Nirvana, Novoselic became one of rock's most politically-minded musicians, supporting the rights of young people in his home state of Washington to being active in his local community. In 2004, he wrote Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy! in which he discusses how.

FairVote's board of directors is comprised of 10 experienced electoral reform advocates:

• Krist Novoselic, Chair - Author Of Grunge and Government
• John Anderson - Former Congressman and presidential candidate
• Edward Hailes - Senior Attorney, The Advancement Project
• Hendrik Hertzberg - New Yorker senior editor
• Malia Lazu - Director, The Gathering Project
• Pete Martineau - Californians for Electoral Reform
• William Redpath – Chairman of the Libertarian Party
• Ken Ritchie - Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society
• Cynthia Terrell – Board member, American Friends Service Committee
• David Wilner – FairVote California and Co-founder, Wind River Systems

Recent Accomplishments by FairVote

• Supported enactment of the National Popular Vote law in Maryland in 2007, the first state to initiate the interstate compact to establish a national popular vote for president;
  
• Led campaigns to adopt instant runoff voting in more than a dozen cities across the country, including Minneapolis (MN), Pierce County (WA) and San Francisco (CA);
  
• Convened the 2007 Claim Democracy conference in Washington, that drew hundreds of pro-democracy reformers together;
  
• Provides high quality research on a full range of key issues relating to election reform and voter participation.

About FairVote

FairVote is a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Takoma Park, Maryland. It is the leading national organization acting to transform our elections to achieve secure and universal access to participation, a full spectrum of meaningful choices and majority rule with fair representation and a voice for all. The group's goals include universal voter registration, a national popular vote for president, instant runoff voting and proportional voting. As a reform catalyst, it develops and promote practical strategies to improve elections for local, state and national leaders.

Contacts: