Entries Categorized with "FairVote"
- 30 of 76 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, FairVote
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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Utah Redistricting: Avoid controversy with a statewide plan for House seats
- Posted: May 25, 2011
- Author(s): Dean Searcy
- Categories: Home, Choice Voting/Proportional Representation, Proportional Voting, 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, Choice Voting/Proportional Representation, Proportional Voting, 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, Proportional Voting, 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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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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Richie's May 5th Democracy Minute: Pluralities, Majorities and Fair Representation
- Posted: May 5, 2011
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: FairVote, Richie's Democracy Minute
Fair voting according to cats (video) .... The impact of plurality rules versus majority rules ....California Top Two race on Tuesday reverses first-round outcome – a more democratic result that won’t be possible in Sept. 13th special election for U.S. House in Nevada. ..UK to vote for regional and local government with non winner-take-all voting methods, and could change method of election for House of Commons. ..Canadian elections remain under microscope. .. Redistricting and recount wars continue.
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Indiana: A Better Redistricting Plan with Super Districts
- Posted: May 5, 2011
- Author(s): Dean Searcy
- Categories: Home, Proportional Voting, 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 3rd Democracy Minute
- Posted: May 3, 2011
- Author(s): Right to Vote Blog, Tom Sanchez, Rob Richie
- Categories: FairVote, Richie's Democracy Minute
Richie's Democracy Minute for May 3rd looks at news from Canada's federal election, the upcoming alternative vote referendum in the United Kingdom, recounts and redistricting.
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Florida: Flashpoint in the Debate about Voter Fraud
- Posted: May 3, 2011
- Author(s): Dean Searcy
- Categories: Home, FairVote
Florida has joined Texas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Indiana among states either passing or seriously considering requiring a government-issued photo ID to be presented whenever any individual votes. Florida's House Bill 1355 and Senate Bill 2086 would: require all voters to present a government issued ID at the polls, mandate the use of provisional ballots if an eligible voter moves to another county, tighten rules on voter registration groups, and shortening the validity of voter signatures on citizen initiatives.