News
51 - 60 of 454 results
-
FairVote analysis in national news
- Posted: February 13, 2012
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting, Presidential Elections, National Popular Vote, Universal Voter Registration, Home
On February 12th, FairVote executive director Rob Richie was a guest on CSPAN television's Washington Journal, aired live around the nation. That day he also had the first and final letters in the New York Times' "Invitation to Dialogue" series on voting reform. FairVote staff and interns have been publishing many articles in 2012.
Rob Richie on CSPANNew York Times "Invitation to Dialogue"
Fair voting op-eds in St. Louis Post-Dispatch & Austin American-Statesman
FairVote blogs on Huffington Post & Oped News
-
FairVote: Your Primary Resource in 2012
- Posted: January 20, 2012
- Categories: Home
FairVote has been analyzing and commenting on elections in general and presidential primaries in particular for two decades. This year FairVote has assembled key resources to understand this year’s nomination contests, with regular analysis on its blog and in published commentary. Don't miss these new reports and commentaries.
Delegate allocation rules in 2012 GOP race
Open, closed and mixed primariers, state-by-state This report details who is allowed to vote in every state holding a presidential or congressional primary this year.
South Carolina Primary: One Candidate May Easily Win All Delegates By Rob Richie and Elise Helgesen
South Carolina Voters Better Enjoy it While it Lasts by Katie Kelly and Rob Richie
RCV for the GOP: Mitt Romney, Fractured Conservatives, and the Importance of Rules by Sheahan Virgin
Understanding How Proportional Representation Worked in NH by FairVote
See visual portrayals of state-by-state GOP primary results & Romney 2008 vs. Romney 2012
-
Utah Republicans Use Instant Runoff Voting
- Posted: January 12, 2012
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting
The Republican Party in Utah used Instant Runoff Voting this week to elect a replacement for a state senate vacancy in a seven-candidate race. Indeed about a half dozen current Republican state lawmakers first won office in a similar way. In 2004, the state convention used IRV when former governor Jon Huntsman was first nominated.
Account of this week's election
Round by Round results from Davis County Republican Party
Article about past use of IRV to fill 2009 vacancy
Articles & analysis of 2002 & 2004 state conventions using IRV
Article on Utah testimony on adopting IRV for state offices -
2012 Election Marathon Underway
- Posted: January 6, 2012
- Categories: Home
Presidential nomination season is upon us, despite the general election still being 11 months away. Check out FairVote’s commentary about the Iowa caucus and stay tuned throughout the next months for our commentary about the nomination process and ways to improve it.
Democracy Lost: the Iowa Caucus, the New Hampshire Primary, and the Shortchanging of American Presidential Politics by Sheahan Virgin
The Role of Proportional Representation in New Hampshire by Rob Richie and Elise Helgesen
Understanding how the Iowa Caucuses Work—And Don’t Work by Rob Richie
FairVote in The Nation on Electoral Dysfunction
On NPR about earlier Florida primary
Our site FixThePrimaries.com
Iowa recount?: Check out FairVote's 2010 report on statewide recount
-
FairVote anticipates a remarkable 2012
- Posted: December 16, 2011
- Categories: Home
FairVote offers compelling reforms designed to embrace the beauty and power of people coming together for the common good. For us, fair elections demand real choices no matter where you live. Real representation means being able to join with like-minded people to elect candidates in proportion to your voting strength. Democracy rests on your ongoing participation.
We're proud of our 2011 and eager for what 2012 will bring. Please peruse our blog, our research reportsand our other resources. For those ready to help realize our vision, we ask that you consider a charitable contribution. Thank you!- How to donate to FairVote
- Rob Richie's year-end letter to supporters
- Memorable 2011 quotes on our work and ideas
- 2011 Accomplishments Bookmark
-
Elections 2011: Ranked Choice Voting & More
- Posted: November 11, 2011
- Categories: Home
Many Americans had a chance to vote in state and local elections on November 8. FairVote was particularly focused on the first-ever use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in Maine's biggest city of Portland, along with RCV elections in St. Paul (MN), San Francisco (CA), Cambridge (MA), Telluride (CO) and Takoma Park (MD). The news from these elections was extremely promising for reform advocates. Voters and election officials handled the system well, and more than two candidates were able to run without talk of "spoilers."
We remain concerned about voter turnout decline in many elections and low numbers of contested races. We see winner-take-all rules as increasingly locking voters into one-party, no-contest boxes. Fair voting methods of proportional voting are necessary to provide meaningful choices and fair representation in our legislative elections.
Here are links:
- Portland: TV (Ranked Choice Voting a Success) & Press-Herald:(Ranked Choice Voting a Winner)
- FairVote's Portland Spotlight & Dorothy Does Democracy
- San Francisco: SFBetterElections.com & SF Voters Effectively Used Ranked Choice Voting
- Visuals for 2011 RCV Election Results: Round-by-Round Breakdown
- FairVote Minnesota on St. Paul: Ranked Choice Voting a Winner
- News Coverage of Telluride Mayoral Race: RCV works
- Elise Helgesen on Choice Voting Elections in Cambridge
- Christina Grier on Voter Turnout in 2011
- Rob Richie and Jamie Raskin on Fair Voting Plan for Maryland
- Virginia State Legislative Elections: Update to Dubious Democracy
-
Ranked choice voting in major elections
- Posted: November 4, 2011
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting in Bay Area Elections, Ranked Choice Voting, Home
Ranked choice choice voting (RCV, or instant runoff) accommodates voters having more than two choices at the polls. This month, San Francisco (CA) will elect a mayor and two other citywide leaders with RCV. Portland (ME) and Telluride (CO) will elect mayors in hotly contested RCV races, and St. Paul (MN) and Takoma Park (MD) will elect city councilors with RCV. In Ireland, Michael Higgins was elected president with RCV, breaking out of a 7-candidate field for a landslide win thanks to a combination of strong first choice rankings and backup preferences from supporters of losing candidates. Cambridge (MA) will use the choice voting form of RCV that provides fair representation to its voters.
FairVote has been deeply involved in many of these implementations and will be tracking elections closely next week. Although controversial with some, RCV is working well -- and has strong backing from almost all mayoral candidates in both Portland and San Francisco. For more on the races, see:
- RCV in San Francisco: New opeds by Matt Gonzalez & Steven Hill
- Portland: Our Portlandvotes123.com, TV local news story and FairVote voter survey
- Coverage in Freakonomics
- Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio & Economist on San Francisco
- Associated Press on Portland
- Cambridge: Candidates for school board & city council
- Rob Richie blogs on Irish presidential election
- St. Paul elections: Voter education site & Star-Tribune commentary
-
Maryland Gerrymander Triggers Support for Fair Voting
- Posted: October 18, 2011
- Categories: Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Home, Redistricting
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 -
FairVote Testimony on Electoral College Reform in Pennsylvania
- Posted: October 5, 2011
- Categories: National Popular Vote
On October 4, 2011, FairVote submitted a written testimony to the Pennsylvania Senate's 'State Government Committee' for the public hearing on electoral reform of whether or not to allocate the state's electoral votes based on congressional district outcomes.
FairVote strongly opposes the proposed legislation. When adopted in all states, the congressional district system takes us farther from the goal of ensuring that the winner of the national popular vote is elected president. When adopted in Pennsylvania alone, it takes us farther from the goal of ensuring that the winner of Pennsylvania's statewide popular vote wins most of the state's electoral votes.
And, make sure to see Rob Richie's Nation magazine commentary on the Pennsylvania controversy
Download FairVote Testimony of Electoral College Reform in Pennsylvania
-
Ranked Choice Voting in Action
- Posted: September 29, 2011
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting in Bay Area Elections, Ranked Choice Voting, Home
Ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting ensures that the candidate that wins an election wins the majority of the vote. Voters will use ranked choice voting this fall in several exciting races: wide-open elections for mayor in San Francisco (CA) and Portland (ME); the presidential race in Ireland; and for other city races in the U.S., including St. Paul (MN). New voter education initiatives are helping show how easy ranked choice voting is for voters, and there have been excellent media stories.