Good news for advocates of fair elections from Cincinnati, Ohio and Port Chester, New York.

Cincinnati has a proud history with its choice voting form of proportional representation, which was used every two years to elect its city council for three decades, ending in a 1957 repeal driven by concerns about how the system provided fair representation to racial minorities. My early activism for proportional representation was highlighted by spending two months in Cincinnati in 1991 volunteering on a campaign to bring choice voting back — it won 45% on a small budget. The issue has continued to simmer and nearly come to a boil, as Cincinnati has at-large, winner-take-all elections that provide uneven representation.

Now the Cincinnati NAACP is working with long-time advocates on a petition drive to put choice voting on the ballot. This time, it should have a real chance to succeed– keep an eye on this effort.

Meanwhile, in New York State, we are thrilled to have the Brennan Center for Justice representing our amicus brief arguing for choice voting in a voting rights case in Port Chester, New York. The judge is weighing allowing the Brennan Center to represent our perspective in upcoming oral arguments. As background, Port Chester has lost the case on liability and has suggested cumulative voting as a remedy. We believe cumulative voting would be better than the current winner-take-all system, but argue that choice voting is a more reliable remedy and one with a history of being used successfully in New York State and upheld in state courts. Oral arguments on remedy will take place later this month.

Other posts by Rob Richie

• Sarah Palin's resignation to reduce women governors to six - July 3rd, 2009
• Delaware house votes 2 to 1 for National Popular Vote - 29th chamber in 18th state - June 24th, 2009
• Obama's political team: Expediency over principle in "working" Electoral College rather than reforming it - June 21st, 2009
• Special interests upset with instant runoff voting in San Francisco - and broader lessons - June 21st, 2009
• FairVote chair Krist Novoselic makes key point about rights of association in candidacy - June 17th, 2009
• Brennan Center's new report on universal registration joins FairVote in highlighting Canadian model - June 16th, 2009
• Instant runoff voting in Australia: Guest blogger Ben Raue - June 16th, 2009
• Washington, D.C. City council has chance to make D.C. a "beacon of democracy" - June 13th, 2009
• Slamdunk win in Minnesota Supreme Court highlights big week for instant runoff voting - June 12th, 2009
• Washington Post editorial: Sen. Roland Burris (D-Blago) - June 9th, 2009