FairVote Blog
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Ranked Choice Voting Vs. Block Voting: The Effects of Electoral Structure in Cambridge, Massachusetts
by Andrew Douglas // December 20, 2013 //Ballot data from November's Cambridge City Council election can be used to simulate a vote using block voting, the most common method for the election of city councils in the United States. The results illustrate the value of the Cambridge system for ensuring fair representation of political and ethnic minority groups.
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The Role of Ranked Choice Voting in 2013
by Rob Richie, Drew Spencer // November 29, 2013 //If you followed the local elections and the special elections that took place in 2013, you probably heard some stories about ranked choice voting - and there's a good chance they were positive.
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Did the California Citizens Redistricting Commission Really Create More Competitive Districts?
by Devin McCarthy // November 26, 2013 //California's independent redistricting process ousted a lot of incumbents in 2012, but that competitiveness is unlikely to persist in 2014.
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Historic Expansion of Suffrage: 16- and 17-Year-Olds Vote in City Election
by Patricia Hart // November 6, 2013 //In one Maryland town, November 5, 2013 was no ordinary Election Day: it marked the beginning of a trailblazing expansion of suffrage rights. Takoma Park is the first city in the United States to open its polls in a general election to residents after they turn 16. The result was remarkable, including a turnout rate that was double that of city residents 18 and over.
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Cambridge, Massachusetts Elections a Model for America
by Andrew Douglas // November 1, 2013 //Cambridge, Massachusetts will elect a new City Council and School Committee on Tuesday through one of the nation's only ranked choice multi-seat electoral systems. The system has unique advantages that lead to fairer and more representative outcomes for the city's voters.
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Organizers Work to Expand Suffrage in NYC
by Patricia Hart // October 24, 2013 //In the center of a Nepalese restaurant in Queens, a dozen IVote organizers crowded around a cluster of tables. The topic of discussion: coordinating an upcoming mock election for New York City immigrants.
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Disappearing "Crossover Legislators" Key to Resolving the Shutdown
by Andrew Douglas // October 18, 2013 //A group of moderate senators, many from states dominated by the opposing party, played a key role in bringing the shutdown to an end. Outdated electoral rules mean that the number of such legislators is on the decline.
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Top Two (With a Twist) for Oregon?
by Drew Spencer // October 18, 2013 //In 2008, Oregon voters rejected a ballot initiative for a Top Two system by a nearly two-to-one vote. In 2014, Top Two may be back on the ballot, but this time tied to a famous Oregonian name and with a twist.
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Blame It on Winner-Take-All: Why Our Outdated Voting Rules Cause Congressional Crises
by Devin McCarthy, Rob Richie // October 1, 2013 //The United States Congress has careened into a government shutdown, and everybody wants to find someone to blame. But in the accusatory frenzy, they're missing the real culprit: the voting rules that drive the political behavior of Congress.
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Cambridge, Massachusetts Voters Elect City Council and School Committee Using Ranked Choice Voting and Multi-Member Districts
by Andrew Douglas // November 22, 2013 //Voters in Cambridge, Massachusetts elected a new city government earlier this month, using ranked choice voting in multi-member districts as they have in every municipal election since 1941. This year's contest provides another illustration of the advantages of this system, including fair representation of minorities, reduced negative campaigning, and greater voter satisfaction.