Content Categorized with "Reforms"
21 - 30 of 53 results
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Arizona Defeats Top Two Primary: What's Next for Reformers?
- Posted: November 9, 2012
- Author(s): Drew Spencer
- Categories: Reforms, Home, FairVote
As the nation eagerly followed the incoming results of the Presidential election on Tuesday, we at FairVote also kept a keen eye on the results of a handful of electoral reform ballot measures, including Arizona's vote on Proposition 121, the Top Two primary law. We were concerned about the impact that this proposed form of Top Two might have in Arizona. But Prop 121's defeat became apparent early in the evening, with over two-thirds of Arizona voting against it.
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Pledge to Stand with Voters: A New FairVote Initiative
- Posted: November 8, 2012
- Author(s): Elizabeth Hudler, Rob Richie
- Categories: Reforms, Right to Vote Amendment, Home, FairVote
With our pledge to Stand with Voters FairVote asserts that it's time to fight for democratic principle over partisan politicking. Promoting and protecting our representative democracy is far more important than seeking short-term advantage in electoral rules.
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Electing Lords: A Unique Opportunity for Electoral Reform in the British Upper House
- Posted: July 31, 2012
- Author(s): Devin McCarthy
- Categories: Europe, Reforms, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Home, Elections Worldwide
A lordship, by its very definition, has historically not been an elected office. But there is a strong movement in the British House of Commons to transform the upper house of the British parliament, the House of Lords, into a largely elected body based on proportional representation. This reform is long overdue.
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Look to Election Rules to Reverse Decline of Political Center
- Posted: May 11, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie, Sheahan Virgin
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting, Reforms, Congressional Elections, Research & Analysis, Home, FairVote
U.S. Senators Dick Lugar (R-IN), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Kent Conrad (R-ND) share a history of bipartisan policymaking -- and the reality that they are leaving Congress. With its "the-rules-matter" perspective, FairVote explores the way in which our winner-take-all voting system disadvantages centrist candidates and discourages bipartisanship.
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Snowe-ball Effect: How the Loss of Yet another Congressional Moderate Makes the Case for Election Reform
- Posted: April 25, 2012
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting, Reforms, Congressional Elections, Research & Analysis, Home
The stunning decision by Olympia Snowe to retire is just the latest example in an alarming series of setbacks for the political center, which is vital to a functioning democracy. What is clear, is that we are living through a period of severe polarization and partisanship, which has had adverse effects on the ranks of moderate politicians. FairVote's unique analysis connects the political center's travails to our damaging winner-take-all election rules and discusses the way in which alternative voting systems could boost moderates like Snowe.
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Was the Iowa Caucuses' Real Winner Not in the Race?
- Posted: January 4, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: Reforms, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Home
Last night, as the numbers rolled in from Iowa, cable news shows pundits analyzed the numbers in almost every way humanly possible – with particular obsession with who was going to “win.” But the media just may have missed the biggest winner: a candidate who wasn’t seeking Iowa votes last night.
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Why Settle? A Review of the Conference on "Creating the Voting Rights Act of 2012"
- Posted: November 8, 2011
- Author(s): Christina Grier
- Categories: Reforms, Universal Voter Registration, Home
The electoral reform organization Why Tuesday? held a conference on November 7 to address existing voting barriers, and offered solutions on how to fix an electoral system that is still functioning under 20th century guidelines. Panelists presented information on issues such as restrictive voter ID laws, voter fraud, and ways to modernize the registration process.
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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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Modernizing Voter Registration: An Overview of the American Enterprise Institute Conference
- Posted: September 22, 2011
- Author(s): Christina Grier
- Categories: Reforms, Universal Voter Registration, Home, Voter Preregistration
Electoral reform experts gathered together on September 19th for a conference on modernizing voter registration. Panelists discussed the current registration system, and provided solutions that will bring voter registration into the 21st century.
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Update: Lebanon Discusses Adopting Proportional Representation
- Posted: August 22, 2011
- Author(s): Yasmeen Gholmieh, Arab Spring Series
- Categories: Reforms, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Middle East and Africa, Home, Elections Worldwide
The Arab Spring movement has influenced Lebanon differently than many of its neighbors. Unlike nations like Syria and Yemen, there aren't street protests. Rather, the turmoil in the country is within the Parliament, not the people themselves.