Entries from 2011
- 90 of 128 results
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Arlen Specter: Extra Money for Swing State Status
- Posted: September 28, 2011
- Author(s): Katie P. Kelly
- Categories: Home, National Popular Vote
As someone who has officially been a Pennsylvanian all of her life until this month, I can say that the debate over Electoral College reform occurring across Pennsylvania has had my close attention. Senator Arlen Specter's comment made it clear that the system is set up to serve special interests. Isn't it about time for the system to serve the American people?
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French Socialists to hold their first US-style primary
- Posted: September 21, 2011
- Author(s): Hüseyin Koyuncu
- Categories: Home, Europe, Elections Worldwide
The French Socialist Party (PS) is defined as the main opposition to the ruling party. It is one of the largest political parties in French political life. On October 9th and 16th, the PS will hold the first open presidential primary in French history. Privately administered by the party itself, the election will be in two rounds, unless one member obtains an absolute majority in the first round. The winner of the primary will be the Socialist nominee for president.
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Presidential Tracker: "Every Corner of Every Swing State"
- Posted: September 14, 2011
- Author(s): Presidential Tracker, Katie P. Kelly
- Categories: Presidential Tracker, Home, National Popular Vote
Historical trends are right on track with our Presidential tracker. As the general election comes closer, visits to states by the President are taking an interesting swing.
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Right to Vote Advocates Give Testimonies to US Senate Judiciary Committee
- Posted: September 8, 2011
- Author(s): Right to Vote Blog, Christina Grier
- Categories: Home, Right to Vote Amendment
On September 8, 2011, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on state voting laws, in particular, laws that could be seen as suppressing voter turnout. Advocates spoke about why a right to vote is so necessary, and not simply amendments that prevent voters from discrimination.
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Shelby County v. Holder: Upholding Section 5 of Voting Rights Act
- Posted: September 29, 2011
- Author(s): Elise Helgesen
- Categories: Home
This month, the D.C. district court upheld the validity of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, dealing a huge blow to Shelby County, Alabama, but ushering in a huge victory for Section 5 proponents. Section 5 of VRA requires states and localities covered by Section 5 to submit changes in law and practice to the Department of Justice or the District Court of the District of Columbia for “preclearance.” This preclearance process prevents changes that would weaken voting rights for racial minorities. The D.C. district court's decision struck down Shelby County's facial and as applied challenges to Section 5, finding that Section 5 was a valid remedy for discriminatory voting practices.
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Modernizing Voter Registration: An Overview of the American Enterprise Institute Conference
- Posted: September 22, 2011
- Author(s): Christina Grier
- Categories: Home, Reforms, Universal Voter Registration, Voter Preregistration
Electoral reform experts gathered together on September 19th for a conference on modernizing voter registration. Panelists discussed the current registration system, and provided solutions that will bring voter registration into the 21st century.
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The Disappearing Vote: A Spotlight on the Disenfranchised Felon Population of the US
- Posted: September 15, 2011
- Author(s): Christina Grier
- Categories: Home, Felon Disenfranchisement
Securing voting rights for every citizen should be a primary goal of the government. Up to 5.3 million people in the United States previously convicted of a felony are currently disenfranchised. While disproportionately affecting African-American men, the lack of voting rights due to having a criminal history serves as a hindrance to a successful re-entrance into society.
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National Popular Vote Plan: Empowering Americans
- Posted: September 13, 2011
- Author(s): Katie P. Kelly
- Categories: Home, National Popular Vote
Despite its successes and the way it empowers individual Americans, the National Popular Vote proposal is still facing opposition. Under the status quo, too many people and their states are ignored during the campaign season. It is time to think about this proposal in a new way: a way that is not constrained by the framework of the current system.
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The Next Generation of Reformers: Reasons for Young People to Get Involved in the Electoral Reform Movement
- Posted: August 24, 2011
- Author(s): Dorothy Scheeline
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, National Popular Vote, Learning Democracy, Right to Vote Amendment, Universal Voter Registration
A lot of the people advocating for structural changes do so because we have problems with the established political culture. The group of people that is 18-29 right now has a lot of reasons to want deep systemic change soon. Because of this, I think that over the next decade we will see groups that are focused on young people intensify their advocacy efforts for election reform issues.
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No More Gerrymanders: Transforming Connecticut into One At-Large Super District
- Posted: August 23, 2011
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin, Super Districts
- Categories: Home, The Fair Voting Solution for U.S. House Elections, Redistricting
Lawmakers in Connecticut are debating how to redraw the boundaries of the state's five U.S. congressional districts in the wake of the 2010 Census. Fully in control of the state legislature, the Democratic Party is expected to push through a new map that protects its incumbents. Such controversies are products of our winner-take-all elections, in which 50.01% of voters can elect 100% of representation. Winner-take-all rules marginalize like-minded voters of a political minority no matter their relative numerical strength, thereby depressing turnout and providing inadequate representation. As part of an ongoing project, FairVote has produced a "super district" map designed for Connecticut elections with a proportional voting system. Our proportional plan upholds U.S. Supreme Court rulings on apportionment while guaranteeing fairer representation.