FairVote Blog
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Remembering Bob Edgar
by Cynthia Terrell // April 23, 2013 //FairVote is saddened by the death of Common Cause president Bob Edgar, a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and democracy.
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Taking on American Political Dysfunction without Changing the Constitution
by Rob Richie, Devin McCarthy // April 23, 2013 //In his draft paper on Political Dysfunction and Constitutional Change, University of California-Irvine professor Rick Hasen makes a powerful case for the need for out-of-the-box thinking on American political reform. But he also makes a curious omission: fair voting.
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Electoral Reform on the Move in Canada
by Devin McCarthy // April 16, 2013 //From a poll showing widespread support for proportional representation to the Liberal Party leadership elections held using ranked choice voting to the growing movement for ranked choice voting in Toronto, things are looking up for electoral reform in Canada.
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Takoma Park Promotes the Vote: Will More Cities, Campuses and Organizations Take Action?
by Rob Richie // April 16, 2013 //Last night, the Takoma Park city council passed a charter amendment on first reading that, if approved when before the council again in the coming month, will be in the best tradition of cities and states leading the nation in advancing voting rights. It would establish same-day voter registration and extend voting rights to residents after they turn 16 and after incarceration. Here's why we think it's important.
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Japan's Electoral Unfairness Goes Deeper than Malapportionment
by Devin McCarthy, Sara Helmi // April 8, 2013 //Several of Japan's high courts have called the 2012 election unconstitutional because of malapportionment. But the continued use of winner-take-all elections is the deeper cause of Japan's distorted electoral outcomes.
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Getting a Real “Colbert Bump” for Women’s Representation Takes Fair Voting Systems and Better Party Rules
by Rob Richie, Patricia Hart // March 29, 2013 //After voters in South Carolina rejected four women running as Democratic Party nominees in the 2012 congressional elections, the state in a special election this May again has a chance elect its first female House members since 1990. The likely continuation of an all-male delegation provides lessons for what it will take to achieve gender parity in Congress: a combination of gender-conscious party rules and fair voting methods.
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“Battleground Texas” Still Many Years Away
by Andrea Levien // March 25, 2013 //Those seeking to make Texas a battleground state in presidential elections are failing to confront the realities of our winner-take-all voting rules for allocating electoral votes, as well as the increasing rigidity of partisan voting patterns in America. Over the next twenty years, the only way for Texas to ensure that it becomes relevant in presidential elections is to help activate the National Popular Vote plan for president.
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New Jersey’s Booker Backs Buono: A Page from the Parity Playbook
by Patricia Hart // March 24, 2013 //Democrats and Republicans across the nation should take a page from Newark Mayor Cory Booker's playbook by backing female gubernatorial candidates in primary races. Booker is lending state Senator Barbara Buono his support as she campaigns in Newark to be the Democratic candidate for New Jersey Governor.
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How to Guarantee Accountable Legislatures Under Choice Voting (Without Hurting Third Parties)
by Devin McCarthy // March 21, 2013 //You don't have to sacrifice voter choice in order to guarantee accountable governments in a choice voting system - either in Malta or in the U.S.
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New York Times Perpetuates Myth that Current Electoral College Rules Help Small States
by Rob Richie, Andrea Levien // March 18, 2013 //Last week, The New York Times published a long analysis by Adam Liptak about the advantages conferred on small states by their outsized representation in the U.S. Senate. It's an important and revealing article, but one that is marred by its inclusion of the National Popular Vote as part of its analysis. We do applaud Liptak for discussing the National Popular Vote plan, as it is promises to be an historic reform drive that will change the Electoral College as we know it. But the National Popular Vote plan in no way "counteracts" the excess power of small states. In fact, it does just the opposite, giving voters in small states the attention and electoral clout that they deserve in presidential elections.