Content Categorized with "Home"

31 - 40 of 236 results

  • Cambridge, Massachusetts Election Results – November 2011

    FairVote often writes about ranked choice voting elections as they happen – indeed six cities voted with a ranked ballot this week. However, the history of choice voting in Cambridge, Massachusetts tells the tale of an American city that has successfully used this form of proportional voting to elect its city council and school committee officials for decades. Here are the recent election results for the city council and school committee races.

    Read More

  • The Ongoing Problem of Low Voter Turnout: Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia

    Tuesday November 8 was Election Day in Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia. Despite holding elections for both houses of the state legislature in New Jersey, Mississippi and Virginia and gubernatorial races in Kentucky and Mississippi, voter turnout was low, continuing the nation-wide pattern that was seen in other states who have held elections already this fall.

    Read More

  • SAN FRANCISCO VOTERS EFFECTIVELY USED RANKED CHOICE VOTING

    Tuesday, November 8, San Francisco held Rank Choice Voting elections for mayor, sheriff, and district attorney. FairVote has analyzed public electronic ballot images and results of the elections. Almost all ballots cast were valid, and many voters ranked more than one candidate, indicating that San Francisco voters understand RCV.

    Read More

  • Why Settle? A Review of the Conference on “Creating the Voting Rights Act of 2012”

    The electoral reform organization Why Tuesday? held a conference on November 7 to address existing voting barriers, and offered solutions on how to fix an electoral system that is still functioning under 20th century guidelines. Panelists presented information on issues such as restrictive voter ID laws, voter fraud, and ways to modernize the registration process.

    Read More

  • Portland Mayoral Election: One-Day Survey Results

    • Posted: November 7, 2011
    • Categories: Home

    FairVote, a non-profit, non-partisan election reform and research organization based in Takoma Park (MD), conducted a one-day survey of 122 early voters on Thursday, November 3 participating in Portland's first mayoral election in nearly a century. The survey reveals that Portland voters find their new ranked choice ballot easy to use and have experienced a mayoral campaign that has promoted civic engagement. 

    Read More

  • Portland Mayoral Election: One-Day Survey Results

    FairVote conducted a one-day survey of 122 early voters on Thursday, November 3 participating in Portland's first mayoral election in nearly a century. The survey reveals that Portland voters find their new ranked choice ballot easy to use and have experienced a mayoral campaign that has promoted civic engagement.

    Read More

  • Irish presidential election with instant runoff voting: Voter choice without "spoilers"

    Our political leaders are again rolling the dice with the American people. Rather than pursue statutory solutions to potential electoral landmines, they've left intact a set of electoral rules that aren’t designed for elections where voters have more than two choices. Ireland last month showcased a better way in its elections. As with all other well-established democracies with presidential elections, Ireland elects its president based on a national popular vote. It uses instant runoff voting to uphold the goal of majority rule. 

    Read More

  • No More Gerrymanders: California's Commission Plan versus the Fair Voting Alternative

    For the first time in California's history, a Citizens Redistricting Commission has drawn the lines for congressional districts. Despite having taken control away from partisan state legislators, the commission's map has been controversial, both among racial minority groups and Republicans who are concerned about fair repesentation. Most disticts also will not be competitive.

    The root of the worst problems associated with redistricting lies with winner-take-all elections, in which 50% + 1 of the vote can elect 100% of the representation. Fair voting systems, relying on a form of proportional representation, are a far better way to achieve public interest objectives and allow all voters to participate in meaningful elections. As part of an ongoing series, FairVote has produced a "super-district" plan designed for elections with a fair voting system. Our California plan upholds U.S. Supreme Court rulings on apportionment while providing fair representation and voter choice for California voters.

    Read More

  • Tunisians Hold Arab Spring’s First Vote

     

    The election is seen as a democratic success for new Tunisia, with some 4.1 million registered voters voting to select the members of the Constituent Assembly – using a method of proportional representation that ensured nearly every participant elected someone, and no one faction earned the winner-take-all power to dominate other factions.  Tunisians have fulfilled their duty peacefully and with great pride, whether in the capital or in provincial towns. European Union observers saluted the election’s “transparency.” Clearly, the strong desire of Tunisians to be governed by democratically elected authorities guided the electoral process.  

     

    Read More

  • Ranked choice voting in major elections

    Ranked choice choice voting (RCV, or instant runoff) accommodates voters having more than two choices at the polls. This month, San Francisco (CA) will elect a mayor and two other citywide leaders with RCV. Portland (ME) and Telluride (CO) will elect mayors in hotly contested RCV races, and St. Paul (MN) and Takoma Park (MD) will elect city councilors with RCV. In Ireland, Michael Higgins was elected president with RCV, breaking out of a 7-candidate field for a landslide win thanks to a combination of strong first choice rankings and backup preferences from supporters of losing candidates. Cambridge (MA) will use the choice voting form of RCV that provides fair representation to its voters.

    FairVote has been deeply involved in many of these implementations and will be tracking elections closely next week. Although controversial with some, RCV is working well -- and has strong backing from almost all mayoral candidates in both Portland and San Francisco. For more on the races, see:

    Read More