FairVote Blog
-
Are Top Two Backers Seeking to Crush Dissent in California?
by Drew Spencer, Rob Richie // September 15, 2012 //California's new Top Two election system has its strong advocates and opponents. Some opponents brought a lawsuit against Top Two to address what it saw as unconstitutional flaws. Although they lost in court, the legislature corrected one of the major flaws highlighted in the lawsuit. But now wealthy interveners in the case are seeking to collect fees against the plaintiffs, and a state judge has agreed. The interveners' action and the judge's ruling set a dangerous precedent.
-
Texas Congressional Redistricting: Beyond Last Week's Section 5 Ruling
by Drew Spencer, Rob Richie // September 7, 2012 //Texas has had problems with redistricting - yet again. Last week's federal court ruling that Texas's 2011 plans for congressional districts and state legislative districts had both the purpose and effect of further reducing the representation of Texas's already underrepresented racial minority populations is just the state's latest salvo in the redistricting wars. We show that there's another way: fair voting plans.
-
Presidential Inequality, Barack Obama, and a Tale of Two Carolinas
Our current Electoral College rules mean that a mere four percent vote shift can make all the difference in how a state’s voters experience the presidential election. There is no better example than North Carolina and South Carolina.
-
The Nonpartisan Case for National Popular Vote: Al Gore, not GOP Platform, Gets it Right
by Rob Richie, Devin McCarthy // September 5, 2012 //Last week, the 2012 Republican Party Platform came out against a national popular vote, while Al Gore spoke in favor of one. Does that mean that the National Popular Vote plan is a partisan issue? To the contrary.
-
Convening in the Swing States: Why the parties are meeting in Florida and North Carolina
by Presidential Tracker, Andrea Levien // August 28, 2012 //Was it the hope of swing state victories that led the Republican and Democratic parties to decide to host their conventions in Charlotte, North Carolina and Tampa, Florida? Evidence suggests that it was, even if that may not mean much in terms of either campaign’s ability to win those states.
-
Todd Akin and Non-Majority Rule
by Patricia Hart // August 24, 2012 //Having just completed his 6th term in the U.S. House, Republican Todd Akin is widely known as Missouri's controversial Senate candidate. As the media scorns his comments about rape and pregnancy, many wonder how Akin came to office in the first place, which presents an opportunity to step back and examine the system that put him in power. What have we got here? A case of plurality voting and the unrepresentative legislator.
-
How the Electoral College Became Winner-Take-All
by Devin McCarthy // August 22, 2012 //Electoral College electors weren't always chosen based on statewide winner-take-all rules. The first 13 U.S. presidential elections were messy and confusing, as each state used its own method for holding--or not holding--presidential elections.
-
Swing States of America: Candidate Tracker and News, August 17
by Devin McCarthy // August 17, 2012 //Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan could improve his chances in Ryan's home state of Wisconsin, but by how much? Will the overperforming economies of many swing states give President Obama victory in November?
-
Swing States of America: Candidate Tracker and News, August 6
by Presidential Tracker, Devin McCarthy // August 6, 2012 //Nationwide polls remain close, but recent swing state polling suggests that President Barack Obama is beginning to pull away from Mitt Romney in the few states that will decide the 2012 presidential election. Obama attempts to further increase this lead with another week of swing state campaigning.
-
Redistricting Guide on FairVote Tools for Analysis and Mapping
by Joe Witte // August 3, 2012 //How much does it cost to participate in the redistricting process? Common software that politicians, political parties and lobbyists use for redistricting costs anywhere from $4,500 a year to a $7,000 one-time fee. At FairVote, we don't believe that participation in the redistricting process should be limited to those who can afford to spend thousands of dollars on software. We are proud to present you with our Redistricting Guide, which gives you a crash course in the free redistricting software we used to create our Monopoly Politics 2012 and Fair Voting 2012 reports.