Content Categorized with "Home"
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Texas Redistricting in the Hands of the Supreme Court Yet Again
- Posted: January 9, 2012
- Author(s): Lindsey Needham
- Categories: Home, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Redistricting
Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for three cases pertaining to Texas redistricting. In recent decades, Texas has been unable to pass a congressional redistricting plan with paying a visit to the high court. With a redistricting process that forces partisan interests to battle racial minority communities for power over a district's single seat, there is little surprise regarding these recurring controversies.
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2012 Election Marathon Underway
- Posted: January 6, 2012
- Categories: Home
Presidential nomination season is upon us, despite the general election still being 11 months away. Check out FairVote’s commentary about the Iowa caucus and stay tuned throughout the next months for our commentary about the nomination process and ways to improve it.
Democracy Lost: the Iowa Caucus, the New Hampshire Primary, and the Shortchanging of American Presidential Politics by Sheahan Virgin
The Role of Proportional Representation in New Hampshire by Rob Richie and Elise Helgesen
Understanding how the Iowa Caucuses Work—And Don’t Work by Rob Richie
FairVote in The Nation on Electoral Dysfunction
On NPR about earlier Florida primary
Our site FixThePrimaries.com
Iowa recount?: Check out FairVote's 2010 report on statewide recount
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Was the Iowa Caucuses’ Real Winner Not in the Race?
- Posted: January 4, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: Home, Reforms, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation
Last night, as the numbers rolled in from Iowa, cable news shows pundits analyzed the numbers in almost every way humanly possible – with particular obsession with who was going to “win.” But the media just may have missed the biggest winner: a candidate who wasn’t seeking Iowa votes last night.
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No More Gerrymanders: Congressional Representation in the Seven At-Large States
- Posted: January 3, 2012
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin, Fair Voting Plans
- Categories: Home, The Fair Voting Solution for U.S. House Elections, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Redistricting, All Reports
Though spared the controversies of congressional redistricting, winner-take-all rules still plague the seven at-large states (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming). Nowhere are the shortcomings of our voting system more acute than in at-large winner-take-all races, where one individual is - rather astonishingly - responsible for representing the political and demographic diversity of an entire state. Read our latest critique of winner-take-all elections and our analysis of congressional elections in these at-large states.
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Understanding how the Iowa caucuses work – and don’t work
- Posted: January 3, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: Home, Instant Runoff Voting, Presidential Nominations Reform
The national media is in a frenzy about the Republican contest in tonight’s Iowa caucuses. Unfortunately, most journalists seem to be getting the story wrong – and a key reason is not understanding or even thinking about the rules and their implications.
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Innovative Analysis in 2011: Seven Top Election Insights from the FairVote Blog
- Posted: December 29, 2011
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: Home
Reviewing all 121 entries posted on the FairVote.org blog this year was a reminder about how busy we've been -- and how insightful FairVote staff, colleagues and interns so often are. In this blog I zeroed in on seven insights you may have missed., with excerpts from seven important blogposts.
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Down the Rabbit Hole of Party Primary Rules
- Posted: December 22, 2011
- Author(s): Elise Helgesen
- Categories: Home
The time has almost come for all eyes to turn to Iowa and the rest of the states as they begin to hold their caucuses and primaries leading up to the 2012 election. But the world of primaries and caucuses is one of confusion, centering on party rules and overlapping state laws. My recent update of the Congressional and Presidential Primaries page on our website showed me just how complicated open, closed, semi-closed, and everything in between could be.
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FairVote anticipates a remarkable 2012
- Posted: December 16, 2011
- Categories: Home
FairVote offers compelling reforms designed to embrace the beauty and power of people coming together for the common good. For us, fair elections demand real choices no matter where you live. Real representation means being able to join with like-minded people to elect candidates in proportion to your voting strength. Democracy rests on your ongoing participation.
We're proud of our 2011 and eager for what 2012 will bring. Please peruse our blog, our research reportsand our other resources. For those ready to help realize our vision, we ask that you consider a charitable contribution. Thank you!- How to donate to FairVote
- Rob Richie's year-end letter to supporters
- Memorable 2011 quotes on our work and ideas
- 2011 Accomplishments Bookmark
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FairVote Reformer December 16, 2011
- Posted: December 16, 2011
- Categories: Home, FairVote Reformer E-Newsletters
What 2011 says about the 2012 elections
As we come to the end of 2011, it's a time to reflect on what we've learned about democracy this year -- and what it means for the 2012 elections and beyond.
What we've learned is that Americans are upset with their government.
Americans hunger for more choices, but have fewer meaningful ones on Election Day than ever. They worry about special interest money pouring into politics, but it only keeps rising. They care about the right to vote, but face new restistrictions in many states that are sure to dampen participation.
That's the downside. The positive news is that change is coming. Consider these highlights:
- Six cities had ranked choice voting ("IRV") elections this November, with voters being able to rank candidates in order of choice without fear of "spoiling" elections.
- Two more states approved the National Popular Vote plan for president: our biggest (California) and one of our smallest (Vermont).
- Proportional voting had a big year internationally, including being adopted by most Arab nations moving toward democracy. I
- Legislation to establish a constitutional right to vote has 48 sponsors.
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Egypt: The Military Struggles to Maintain its Legitimacy
- Posted: December 12, 2011
- Author(s): Arab Spring Series, Hüseyin Koyuncu
- Categories: Home, Middle East and Africa, Elections Worldwide
Amidst controversies and protests, Egypt last month held the first in a series of elections for a new parliament. FairVote has covered the region's moves toward representative democracy in our Arab Spring series. Here’s the first of a series of posts analyzing the elections, starting with a focus on the state country before the voting last month.