Meet Haley Smith


Whether one takes the perspective that it's because of gridlock or partisanship or special interests, all the literature is generally pessimistic about government being better. There is very much a prevalent rhetoric that our current system needs to improve. I came to FairVote because it is one of a few organizations that focuses on systemic changes instead of superficial procedural changes that help our democracy function.
FairVote’s focus is to create better democracy, to make our system better so that our voices can be better heard. That’s why I came to FairVote: to help expand the conversation about how structural reforms can offer better collective governance. I’m particularly interested in how we can implement structural reforms that bring about more representation for women and minorities.

I don’t wear a blazer and pencil skirt to work. I don’t power walk down a hallway debriefing a Senator -- who's already late to a meeting about important new developments on Senate bill 1125 -- like I dreamed of when I was younger. While being a Fellow at FairVote might not be glamorous, I believe helping to start a conversation about democratic change is inherently more important.