Maryland Gerrymander Triggers Support for Fair Voting
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