Press
101 - 110 of 242 results
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Instant Runoff Voting a Success in Cary, N.C. Pilot Election
- Posted: October 18, 2007
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, FairVote
On October 9, Cary became the first city in the U.S. South to use instant runoff voting (IRV). An exit poll designed by North Carolina State University professor Michael Cobb found that nearly three in four voters preferred the new ranked voting system over their old runoff system; and only 4% found it difficult to understand. Used in a rapidly growing number of American cities, IRV generates a majority winner in one election by allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference.
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FairVote to Host Major Pro-Democracy Conference
- Posted: October 17, 2007
- Categories: FairVote
FairVote, along with leaders of the country’s top electoral reform and media reform groups, are giving democracy advocates the chance to get informed, get involved, and get connected at the Claim Democracy 2007 conference, November 9th to 11th at the University of the District of Columbia.
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Youth pre-registration picks up steam
- Posted: October 14, 2007
- Categories: FairVote
Scores of Rhode Islanders called their local representatives last week urging them to over-ride the veto of HB 6215, a bill that allows 16 and 17 year olds to pre-register to vote. FairVote RI urged Rhode Islanders to contact their legislators this week, and ask them to vocalize their support for an over-ride of the Governor’s veto.
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The Senate Loses its Cool
- Posted: October 11, 2007
- Categories: FairVote, Innovative Analysis
In the grand scheme of history, allowing voters to directly elect U.S. Senators is a new, hip concept. Before the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures, leaving only members of the House serving at the will of actual voters. Perennial presidential candidate Alan Keyes may oppose the amendment, but it would be something of a shock if this particular electoral fad - and important advance for democracy - did not endure.
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Of Campaigns and Crosswords
- Posted: October 4, 2007
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, FairVote, Innovative Analysis
Elections are like Scrabble. Winning requires strategy, a command of language and a sense of your opponent's weaknesses, there are very often more than two players, and it doesn't hurt to pull a seven-letter bingo from out of nowhere for a 50-point bonus (wait, I think that last one is only in Scrabble).
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The Primaries' Premature Nomination Problem
- Posted: September 27, 2007
- Categories: FairVote, Innovative Analysis
When Dick Gephardt eked out a win in the 1988 Iowa caucuses, no one was under the illusion that the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination was over. Nor was it over in 1992 when Iowans chose favorite son Sen. Tom Harkin and Paul Tsongas won in New Hampshire, both defeating eventual nominee Bill Clinton. John McCain found that a lopsided New Hampshire win was not enough to survive the awaiting Bush 2000 machine.
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E-Newsletter September 21, 2007
- Posted: September 21, 2007
- Categories: FairVote Reformer E-Newsletters, National Popular Vote, Choice Voting/Proportional Representation, FairVote
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Barry Bonds, Blast-offs and Ballots
- Posted: September 20, 2007
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, FairVote, Innovative Analysis
As you may have heard by now, fashion designer Marc Ecko has purchased the baseball hit by Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record for a mere $750,000. Given the controversial nature of Bonds’ achievement (a fray into which FairVote will not be jumping), Mr. Ecko’s stated purpose in buying the famous sphere was to “democratize” its fate. He is holding an online election asking interested parties to choose from one of three options:
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The President of Everyone?
- Posted: September 13, 2007
- Categories: National Popular Vote, FairVote, Innovative Analysis
When the presidential primary season was still in formation, Washington oracle David Broder took note of the new emphasis given by the candidates for the Democratic nomination to the concerns of urban voters.
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New Report: California GOP-Backed Electoral Vote Plan Deeply Flawed'
- Posted: September 13, 2007
- Categories: National Popular Vote, FairVote
The California Republican Party at its recent state convention endorsed the Electoral Reform Act, a proposed ballot measure to award most of California’s electoral votes according to the presidential vote in each congressional district. In its new report, “Fuzzy Math: Wrong-Way Reforms for Allocating Electoral College Votes,” FairVote reveals the serious flaws in the proposal if applied either state-by-state or nationally.