Northern Ireland’s Fair Representation Voting Elections Yield a More Balanced Legislative Assembly
Posted on What's New Kelsey Kober on March 31, 2017

On March 2nd, Northern Ireland’s citizens cast their votes to elect the nation’s 2017 Legislative Assembly. The Irish nationalist Sinn Fein (SF) party closed the gap on the predominant Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) while smaller, more moderate parties such as the Ulster Unionist Party and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland gained improved representation.
Read moreHow to Elect More Wendy Davis's
Posted on Quick News Kelsey Kober, Theodore Landsman on March 22, 2017
In 2008, Wendy Davis was elected to the Texas State Senate from a district that leans Republican. However, despite this, crossover representatives in the Texas Statehouse are rarer than ever.
Read moreCould Northern Ireland's Legislative Assembly Elections Set an Example?
Posted on What's New Kelsey Kober on February 22, 2017

On March 2, 2017, Northern Ireland’s citizens will cast their votes for Members of the country’s sixth Legislative Assembly. In this election, the country’s heavily Protestant Democratic Union Party (DUP), which holds 37 of the 108 seats, will face off with the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein Party (28 seats) for influence over the Assembly’s legislative agenda.
Read moreThe Connecticut State Senate, Bipartisanship, and Collaborative Policymaking
Posted on What's New Kelsey Kober, Theodore Landsman on January 03, 2017

There will be a new experiment in divided government. The Connecticut State Senate is now perfectly tied 18-18 for the first time since 1893. It is too early now to know what sort of concessions Democrats may offer. However, FairVote’s guide to Collaborative Policy Making could serve as a road map for inclusive policy making in the state Senate. Connecticut currently uses none of the agenda setting and consensus building practices that lead to a more civil and functional divided government.
Read moreLos Angelenos Already Preparing for Another Round of Elections
Posted on Quick News Kelsey Kober on December 21, 2016

As the 2016 election came to a close last month, American voters breathed a sigh of relief that the exhausting campaigns were finally over. However, the citizens of Los Angeles cannot relax just yet -- important elections for the city’s mayor, as well as eight of its 15 city council seats, are rapidly approaching.
Read moreCompetition under Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission
Posted on What's New Kelsey Kober on November 08, 2016

Even after the adoption of an independent redistricting commission, seven of Arizona’s nine congressional districts are completely safe for the party that holds them. We report on the impact of redistricting on competition in U.S. house races since 1984.
Read moreNorth Carolina’s Elimination of Primary Runoffs Shows Why Ranked Choice Voting is a Better Way
Posted on What's New Kelsey Kober on October 27, 2016

North Carolina’s decision to eliminate primary runoffs echoes FairVote’s critique of runoffs. In lieu of primary runoffs or plurality voting, North Carolina and other states should adopt ranked choice voting to ensure that elected officials win with broad support and avoid the expense and inconvenience of dragging voters back for another election.
Read moreNational Voter Registration Day: Why We Need Universal Voter Registration
Posted on Quick News Kelsey Kober on September 27, 2016

September 27 marks National Voter Registration Day. For many, this day symbolizes American democracy and an invitation to all citizens to participate in the government. What many might not know is that the United States is one of the only democracies in the world to not automatically register voters, instead shifting the responsibility to political parties, organizations, and elected officials with a history of bias.
Read moreNoncompetitive Congressional Elections Raise Concerns About Fair Representation
Posted on What's New Kelsey Kober on September 23, 2016

The act of selecting leaders is vital to a democracy. However, in 34 Congressional districts in 2016, voters won’t be making a choice. These 34 districts are held by incumbents who faced no opposition in their party’s primary and no major party competition in the general election.
Read moreMeet the Team: Kelsey Kober
Posted on What's New Kelsey Kober on September 15, 2016

Something as monumentally important for American democracy as its electoral process requires serious, data-driven solutions, and FairVote has shown that they have the answers. I’m excited to join FairVote’s team and work on finding the solutions that will expand access to the ballot box for all Americans.
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