Content Categorized with "FairVote"

191 - 200 of 1286 results

  • Rob Richie - It's time to elect all U.S. senators

    In the wake of the death of Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts legislators are debating a change to allow the current Democratic governor to make a short-term appointment. Massachusetts should stand by its law. As Sen. Kennedy said in a May 2005 speech to Congress, "The vast majority of Americans' share our commitment to basic fairness. They agree that there must be fair rules, that we should not unilaterally abandon or break those rules in the middle of the game."

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  • It's time to elect all U.S. senators

    • Posted: September 4, 2009
    • Author(s): Rob Richie
    • Publication: Miami Herald
    • Categories: FairVote
    Rob Richie, in a piece published throughout McClatchy papers' newswires, explains why convenience and expediency should not trump principle when choosing our U.S. Senators.

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  • And the Winner Is...

    New America's Blair Bobier makes the case that if the Motion Picture Academy can see the wisdom of IRV, so should the state of California as it considers changing to the "top two" primary system.

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  • And the Oscar for best voting system goes to . . . IRV!

    The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science will use instant runoff voting to award the Oscar for Best Picture in 2010, ensuring that the most celebrated movie of the year is one with strong support among Academy members. 

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  • Blagojevich "Tell-All" Book Shows You Can't Play Appointment Games in U.S. House Elections

    • Posted: September 1, 2009
    • Categories: FairVote

    In previews of a new tell-all book by Rod Blagojevich, the disgraced former Illinois governor explains his version of the political machinations behind the filling of the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Obama. Blagojevich claims that his original intent for filling the Senate seat blatantly revolved around pursuing "pet projects" favored by the governor--appointing someone who would best represent the people of Illinois was nowhere in the calculation. Blagojevich also alleges that current White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel asked him to appoint a temporary "placeholder" U.S. Representative to his congressional seat, according to an August 31 Associated Press story by Deanna Bellandi. 

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  • Motion Picture Academy Adopts Instant Runoff Voting for Best Picture

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science announced this week that it will use instant runoff voting to choose its honoree for Best Picture, ensuring that the most celebrated movie of the year is one with strong support among Academy members. Used by the Academy in Best Picture voting before 1945, which was the last time ten pictures were nominated,instant runoff voting (IRV) is a system in which voters rank their preferences in order of choice. The nominee with the fewest votes is eliminated, and ballots cast for that film are moved to voter's next choice among the remaining films. The process continues until one film has more than half the votes and is declared Best Picture of the Year.

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  • E-Newsletter August 31, 2009

    Features:

    • Democracy in Senatorial Succession
    • Better Voting on the Ballot
    • FairVote Reports and Testimony: Fixing the Primaries, Audited Elections

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  • Senators question system of replacing retirees

    • Posted: August 28, 2009
    • Author(s): Jim Abrams
    • Categories: FairVote
    FairVote research is cited in explaining the huge percentage of U.S. Senators who have served without being elected those they represent.

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  • Lowell (MA) to Bring Choice Voting to the Ballot

    This November, voters in Lowell (MA) will have the opportunity to improve the city’s voting system with proportional voting. The city Election Office announced yesterday that a question regarding choice voting, a form of proportional representation, will be on the Lowell city ballot in the upcoming elections.

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  • A way to restore the people's Senate

    • Posted: August 27, 2009
    • Author(s): Brian Dickerson
    • Publication: Detroit Free Press
    • Categories: FairVote
    Despite moves to change Massachusetts law to allow for appointments to fill Senate vacancies, Dickerson says mandating special elections would be a "fitting tribute" to the late Sen. Kennedy.

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