Content Categorized with "Home"

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  • No More Gerrymanders: Congressional Representation in the Seven At-Large States

    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

    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

    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

    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!

     

     

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  • FairVote Reformer December 16, 2011

    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

    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.

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  • Learning a Lesson from Egypt’s Universal Voter Registration

    Egypt recently began the process of electing members to its People's Assembly. Egypt's parliamentary elections provide an example for the United States worth taking note. Egypt uses a system of universal voter registration, which helped bring large numbers of voters to the polls. FairVote believes this type of universal voter registration would modernize and improve the type of voter registration in American elections.

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  • America's Young Voters: Who They Are and Why They Matter

    Young voters hold the key to the future of the country and are an important part of the electorate. Just like every other age group, they are frustrated with political officials. Yet despite this frustration, there has been a slight increase in youth voter turnout over the past few years. Even with the increase in turnout, young voters still vote at a lesser rate than voters of other age groups. It is a problem that needs to be addressed because the strength of our democracy depends on all voters participating.

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  • Response to “A rogue convention? How GOP party rules may surprise in 2012”

    Following up on our recent article in Politico, we share our thoughts about the 2012 Republican National Convention, a few points about Rule 38's unit rule and its implication on delegates' voting methods, and finally, our response to critics who say we have misinterpreted the rules.

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