Entries from 2011
- 128 of 128 results
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Democratization and Conflict in the Arab World: Challenges, opportunities and dangers- We were there!
- Posted: May 31, 2011
- Author(s): Arab Spring Series, Wael Abdel Hamid
- Categories: Home, Middle East and Africa, FairVote, Elections Worldwide
On May 4 , the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)in Washington, D.C. hosted an exceptional conference, organized with Georgetown University, entitled “Democratization and Conflict in the Arab World: Challenges, opportunities and dangers”. The aim of the conference was “to offer concrete, policy-relevant insights that will be of benefit to political leaders in the Arab world, as well as to policy makers and activists in the United States working in the areas of human rights, democratic change and the rule of law”.
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The End of the Election Assistance Commission?
- Posted: May 31, 2011
- Author(s): Dean Searcy, Nate Crippes
- Categories: Research & Analysis, Home, FairVote
The future of the Election Assistance Commission, an independent bipartisan government agency tasked with making elections fair and accessible, is in question. Amid the intense debate in Washington over government spending, this small agency could be terminated, some of its tasks being relegated to the Federal Elections Commission, in order to save the taxpayers $14 million a year. In the United State House of Representatives, H.R. 672, a bill introduced by Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS), seeks to terminate the EAC. The bill has made it through the Committee on House Administration along party lines, and will now move to the House for a vote.
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Choice Voting the Best Way to Bring People together in D.C. Redistricting
- Posted: May 26, 2011
- Author(s): Melanie Kiser
- Categories: Home, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation
A redistricting map that avoids dividing communities and transgressing natural barriers has eluded Washington, D.C. By most accounts, a truly fair and agreeable plan of single-member districts is impossible due to uneven population growth among the District's wards. Proportional voting presents the best option for assuring fair representation to all residents -- not only in D.C. but in cities and counties across the country.
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Utah Redistricting: Avoid controversy with a statewide plan for House seats
- Posted: May 25, 2011
- Author(s): Dean Searcy
- Categories: Home, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Cumulative Voting, FairVote
Following the 2010 Census, Utah is gaining another Congressional seat for a total of four seats. As might be expected, the addition of a fourth seat has thrown the state legislature into partisan conflicts because the strongly Republican state legislature is seeking to dismantle the more Democratic concentration in the second district by cutting it into three pieces. Senate President Michael Waddoups wants to draw lines north to south instead of focusing on compactness, leaving Democrats concerned the new plan will divide their county into three parts and weaken their meager base that helps them elect Democrat Jim Matheson to the U.S. House. Clearly, partisanship is an issue -- one that the state could avoid by adopting a proportional voting in a statewide race.
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New Mexico Redistricting: Super Districts for U.S. House
- Posted: May 24, 2011
- Author(s): Dean Searcy
- Categories: Home, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Cumulative Voting, FairVote
When it comes to the complexities of redistricting, New Mexico is no exception. On May 14th, It's legislative leaders named an 18-member committee to work on the monumental task. In the past, several Congressional redistricting maps have ended up in the courts due to fights over partisanship and incumbent protection - leaving the judicial system to redraw the lines. In the 1960s, however, New Mexico elected its U.S. House seats at-large - and should do so again in a single "super district," but this time witih a proportional voting system providing fairer representation.
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Missouri Redistricting: Super-districts are Superior
- Posted: May 11, 2011
- Author(s): Dean Searcy
- Categories: Home, FairVote
On May 4th, the Missouri legislature voted to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of House Bill 193, a bill which would redraw state lines using the 2010 census. In an unexpected turn of events, seven Democrats joined with the Republicans in a 104-44 vote to override Gov. Nixon's veto and pass the new lines into law, the first occurrence of such an event in Missouri history.
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Richie's May 9th Democracy Minute: The Ever-Shrinking Presidential Battleground
- Posted: May 9, 2011
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: FairVote
Watch video on Vermont's enactment of the National Popular Vote bill and read analysis of the roots of problems with the current presidential election system. News on instant runoff and upcoming IRV elections in the United States.
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Indiana: A Better Redistricting Plan with Super Districts
- Posted: May 5, 2011
- Author(s): Dean Searcy
- Categories: Home, FairVote
After much debate, a GOP Congressional redistricting plan was approved this past week by both the Indiana House and Senate. Despite the Republican Party's efforts to quell allegations of partisan gerrymandering, it is quite clear that partisanship has been a factor.
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Richie's May 6th Democracy Minute: Dump "first past the post"!
- Posted: May 6, 2011
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: FairVote
Launching a campaign to end "first past the post" ..British referendum on alternative vote expected to uphold status quo…Florida legislature passes controversial voting measure...Redistricting: Gubernatorial veto of Missouri redistricting plan overturned, Utah Democrats back consideration of super district proportional plan...Republicans kick off presidential nomination debates, with problematic process looming.
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RTV: Money doesn’t grow on trees
- Posted: May 4, 2011
- Author(s): Right to Vote Blog, Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Home, Right to Vote Amendment
Recently, several states have backed policies that likely will disenfranchise large numbers of their citizens in the name of reducing the deficit and becoming more efficient; policies involving filling vacancies, and maintaining voter rolls.