Entries Categorized with "FairVote"
- 10 of 103 results
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New Jersey’s Booker Backs Buono: A Page from the Parity Playbook
- Posted: March 24, 2013
- Author(s): Patricia Hart
- Categories: FairVote
Democrats and Republicans across the nation should take a page from Newark Mayor Cory Booker's playbook by backing female gubernatorial candidates in primary races. Booker is lending state Senator Barbara Buono his support as she campaigns in Newark to be the Democratic candidate for New Jersey Governor.
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The Voting Rights Act, Jerome Gray and Fair Voting in Alabama
- Posted: March 8, 2013
- Author(s): Drew Spencer
- Categories: Home, Reforms, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Voting Rights, Cumulative Voting, FairVote
Among news coverage surrounding the upcoming landmark Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which will decide the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Jerome Gray has received partiuclar attention.. Gray has had a remarkable career as a community organizer, including helping to make sure fair voting systems were effective for African American voters.
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Not Helping America Vote: The Plight of the Un-filled Election Assistance Commission
- Posted: February 26, 2013
- Author(s): Rob Richie, Lizz Hudler
- Categories: Home, Right to Vote Amendment, FairVote
Creating an active EAC is a simple positive step – and one that happens to be the law. Reform should be about systemic, enduring solutions, not just shorter lines. #wehavetofixthat
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Dubious Democracy: Updated FairVote Report Shows Dysfunctional House Elections
- Posted: February 11, 2013
- Author(s): Devin McCarthy
- Categories: Congressional Elections, FairVote
Since 1994, FairVote has released a biannual report on American congressional elections called "Dubious Democracy." FairVote now presents its updated evaluations of the 2012 congressional elections.
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Who Needs to Fix That? We Do.
- Posted: January 7, 2013
- Author(s): Lizz Hudler
- Categories: Home, Right to Vote Amendment, Voting Rights, FairVote
When President Barack Obama paused in his victory speech, thanking voters for waiting in long lines to vote but noting 'we have to fix that', one might have assumed that reform would come from the top.
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When Barack Obama Was a Leader in Seeking Fair Voting Systems
- Posted: December 20, 2012
- Author(s): Drew Spencer, Rob Richie
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Home, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Congressional Elections, FairVote
President Barack Obama has a lot on his mind these days, but the state of our democracy remains critical. Fortunately, judging by Obama's record in the Illinois Senate --where he was the prime sponsor of legislation to advance cumulative voting and instant runoff voting - we haven't had a president as informed about good ideas for taking on electoral reform since James Madison and the founding generation.
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FairVote Chair Krist Novoselic on Democracy and Proportional Representation
- Posted: December 12, 2012
- Author(s): Drew Spencer
- Categories: Home, FairVote
Those in New York City were recently excited to learn that Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl of Nirvana will be reuniting to play at the 12/12/12 benefit concert for those affected by Hurricane Sandy, with Paul McCartney joining them in the role formerly filled by Kurt Cobain. A smaller number may be aware of the critical role Krist Novoselic has played in fighting for reforms to improve American democracy.
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Pennsylvania Senate Leader Pileggi Wrong on Prescription for Electoral College Reform
- Posted: December 3, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: National Popular Vote, FairVote
Pennsylvania's senate majority leader Dominic Pileggi is backing a new plan to divide his state's electoral votes in the 2016 presidential race. While supported as a means to provide a fair reflection of state voters in the Electoral College, the plan has big downsides -- and falls far short of the National Popular Vote plan. Sen. Pileggi should back the National Popular Vote plan and apply his interest in proportional representation to elections for Congress and the state legislature.
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A Representative Congress: Enhancing African American Voting Rights in the South with Choice Voting
- Posted: November 27, 2012
- Author(s): Drew Spencer, Rob Richie
- Categories: Home, Reforms, Fair Voting/Proportional Representation, Congressional Elections, Redistricting, Voting Rights, FairVote
In southern states, racially polarized elections remain an active part of political life. Since 1965, the Voting Rights Act has guaranteed that African Americans in the South cannot be shut out of elections either through direct barriers to voting or through discriminatory districts that prevent the achievement of representation. However, relying on winner-take-all elections has inherent limitations. In the belt of southern states including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas, the use of districting to achieve a fairer level of representation for African Americans has hit a ceiling. To push through that ceiling and achieve truly fair representation, FairVote recommends abandoning the single-member district in favor of super districts elected by choice voting.
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Clashing Mandates and the Role of Voting Structures
- Posted: November 20, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: Congressional Elections, FairVote
President Barack Obama won the presidential election by more than four million votes and 129 electoral votes, but Mitt Romney has carried a large majority of U.S. House districts and a majority of House seats are held by Republicans representing a district where Obama was defeated. Those facts point to tensions in the months ahead--and to the value of rethinking our voting rules to ensure a level playing field for all.