FairVote acts to transform our elections to achieve universal access to participation, a full spectrum of meaningful ballot choices and majority rule with fair representation for all. As a catalyst for change, we build support for innovative strategies to win a constitutionally protected right to vote, universal voter registration, a national popular vote for president, instant runoff voting and proportional voting.
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Reform News
Latest E-Newsletter: Aug 6, 2010
FairVote policy proposals for instant runoff voting (IRV) and the National Popular Vote plan (NPV) had a particularly big July. Massachusetts became the sixth state to enact NPV - see Rob Richie's commentary for YES magazine and Jules Leconte's review of the win and widespread media coverage, including an oped from Michael Dukakis. Charter commissions in Maine's biggest city (Portland) and Tennessee's biggest county (Shelby) voted overwhelmingly to place IRV on the November ballot, while the preliminary report of New York City's charter commission recommended IRV for mayor, as backed by Rob Richie in the New York Times. New jurisdictions holding IRV elections this year include Oakland (mayor) and North Carolina (three judicial elections), while FairVote's Cathy Le explains Australia's upcoming national IRV election. An oped by FairVote's Alec Slatky calling for IRV in Alabama primaries drew interest from political leaders, while Politico also ran a Slatky-Richie oped on IRV.
Port Chester (NY) released the FairVote-sponsored exit poll survey on how cumulative voting contributed to high turnout and fair representation -- as many as 80% of voters gave more than one vote to a candidate. FairVote issued a detailed analysis of the best way to make "open primaries" (as in the "top two" proposal adopted in California this year) work, while Rebecca Guterman highlighted innovative ways to introduce young people to voting and citizenship. Chair Krist Novoselic addressed the Global Forum on Democracy, was featured in the online Wall Street Journal and co-authored with Rob Richie a Milwaukee Sentinel oped on ending gerrymandering. Richie was on hand for the annual conference of the National Conference of State Legislators. Track the latest at www.twitter.com/fairvote.P.S.: Happy Birthday, Voting Rights Act! It turns 45 on August 6th!
IQ whiz suggests instant runoff voting; Major developments in the UK, Australia and US show the merits of IRV
// September 8, 2010
Rated for five years as having the world’s highest IQ, Parade magazine columnist Marilyn vos Savant spotlighted instant runoff voting (IRV) and the National Popular Vote plan in her September 5th column. Recent global developments underscore why IRV merits such attention. For example:
- The British House of Commons on September 6th cast a key vote to hold a national referendum in May 2011 on adopting IRV. Editorials backing IRV ran in the Guardian and Financial Times newspapers.
- Millions of votes are being cast in IRV elections for the British Labour Party's next leader.
- The New York City Charter Revision Commission’s final report (pp. 69-71) recommended IRV for future consideration, as called for by the city’s former Public Advocate Mark Green.
- NYU constitutional law professor Richard Pildes backed IRV in a Big Think video.
- North Carolina’s Wilmington Star News touted this November’s first statewide general election with IRV as a potential model election and an important step toward switching all elections to IRV.
- Oakland and nearby cities gear up for their first IRV elections for mayor with new county educational resources.
- Australia formed a new Labor-Green government after its recent IRV elections.
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Research Highlights
FairVote Facts
- Number of U.S. Senators appointed without election since the ratification of 17th Amendment: 182
- Number of U.S. House members ever to serve without election: 0
- Number of states that always fill U.S. Senate vacancies by election: 4
- Number of states that always fill U.S. House vacancies by election: 50
California's Proposition 14: Weaknesses and Remedies
Today, FairVote released its report on the problems and possible solutions with California’s Proposition 14, also known as the “Top Two Primary” system.
Without overturning Proposition 14, California can mitigate these effects by statutorily permitting write-in votes, shortening the time between the primary and general elections, permitting “Partial Party Ballot Endorsement,” and providing fairer means to achieve and maintain recognized party status.
For other states who are crafting their own election reform statutes, FairVote recommends adopting Louisiana’s “Open General Election” system with a conditional runoff, adopting instant runoff voting or choice voting, potentially in an Open General Election , and advancing more than two candidates to the general election and use IRV.
Read the report here.
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Our Media
Featured Podcasts
Howard Dean on IRV--Howard Dean Discusses instant runoff voting on Radio Vermont's Mark Johnson Show.
John Anderson and the Redistricting Game--FairVote's former chairman helps unveil a new gerrymandering computer game, with an introduction from Rep. John Tanner.
The Slow Motion Stampede--FairVote's Rob Richie and Kentucky Secretary of State Tray Grayson talk about solutions to the broken presidential primary system on NPR's "All Things Considered."
Featured Video
A New Era of Electoral Reform - The 2010s and the 50-Year Cycle