Entries Categorized with "Instant Runoff Voting"
- 10 of 179 results
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Look to Election Rules to Reverse Decline of Political Center
- Posted: May 11, 2012
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin, Rob Richie
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, Research & Analysis, Congressional Elections, Reforms, FairVote
U.S. Senators Dick Lugar (R-IN), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Kent Conrad (R-ND) share a history of bipartisan policymaking -- and the reality that they are leaving Congress. With its "the-rules-matter" perspective, FairVote explores the way in which our winner-take-all voting system disadvantages centrist candidates and discourages bipartisanship.
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Election Wonk: Growing trend of plurality wins in governors' races
- Posted: May 7, 2012
- Author(s): The Non-Majority Rule Desk, Lindsey Needham
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, FairVote
Over the last two years, a staggering 28% of gubernatorial races were awarded to candidates who failed to win 50% of the vote. With so many state executives in power without the expressed consent of the majority, we have to question whether our system successfully functions to deliver the will of the people.
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Snowe-ball Effect: How the Loss of Yet another Congressional Moderate Makes the Case for Election Reform
- Posted: April 25, 2012
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, Research & Analysis, Congressional Elections, Reforms
The stunning decision by Olympia Snowe to retire is just the latest example in an alarming series of setbacks for the political center, which is vital to a functioning democracy. What is clear, is that we are living through a period of severe polarization and partisanship, which has had adverse effects on the ranks of moderate politicians. FairVote's unique analysis connects the political center's travails to our damaging winner-take-all election rules and discusses the way in which alternative voting systems could boost moderates like Snowe.
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Third Parties and the Spoiler Effect In the 2012 Election
- Posted: March 1, 2012
- Author(s): Joe Witte, The Non-Majority Rule Desk
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, Research & Analysis, Presidential Elections
As the 2012 presidential election approaches, it's clear that while many American voters are ready for a third party, America's election system is not.
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Survey of California Republicans Has Revealing Results
- Posted: February 29, 2012
- Author(s): Dorothy Scheeline
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, Presidential Elections, Presidential Nominations Reform
Californians for Electoral Reform conducted a revealing survey of delegates to the California Republican Party state convention last weekend. By enumerating their preferences, California Republican activists give insight into their voting patterns.
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RCV for the GOP: Mitt Romney, Fractured Conservatives, and the Importance of Rules in Determining Election Outcomes
- Posted: January 20, 2012
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, Presidential Nominations Reform
Some conservatives wonder how Mitt Romney has become the favorite for the nomination in a Republican party moving rightward. Others embrace Romney. One problem for believers of both views is the plurality voting rule that means winners don't have to secure a majority. Plurality voting arguably has been negative for all parties involved in the nomination race—whether Romney or his more conservative challengers. The solution, FairVote argues, lies in the adoption of an alternative framework: ranked choice voting.
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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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RCV Election Results: Portland and San Francisco
- Posted: November 18, 2011
- Author(s): Sheahan Virgin, Katie P. Kelly
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting in Bay Area Elections, Instant Runoff Voting
Updated! This November, ranked choice voting (RCV) elections took place in six cities in the United States. Here is a visual breakdown of each ranked choice voting round in the San Francisco (CA) elections for Mayor, District Attorney and Sheriff and in the Portland (ME) mayoral election. In Portland, Michael Brennan led in the first round and was the strongest candidate in securing votes from backers of defeated candidates, winning with 56% when matched against his strongest opponent. In San Francisco, Interim Mayor Ed Lee led in the first round and also expanded his lead during the count, securing 60% of the final round tally.
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Portland’s Biggest Winner: Democracy with Ranked Choice Voting
- Posted: November 16, 2011
- Author(s): Dorothy Scheeline, Rob Richie
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home
What shouldn’t be missed in the fray of post-election coverage in Maine is the glorious five minutes of pure democratic spirit that everyone experienced when the round-by-results results of the first ranked choice voting election for Portland's mayor were presented before everyone's eyes. In what other instance would you have every single candidate in the race, their supporters, the media, community members that were just curious, all in one room, waiting to hear the results? For those five minutes, there wasn't any politicking, just democracy in action.
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Portland Mayoral Election: One-Day Survey Results
- Posted: November 7, 2011
- Author(s): Dorothy Scheeline
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home
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.