Results are coming in from Wisconsin, and they demonstrate how much Wisconsin stands as an example of the unfair partisan skew in congressional and legislative elections. This may help make the case for a lawsuit working its way through federal court, arguing that Wisconsin's gerrymandered districts violate the U.S. Constitution.
Read moreWith the polls closing just minutes ago, it is clear that the Senate will keep yet another supporter of ranked choice voting on its member rolls. Sen. McCain (R-Arizona), who has maintained a strong lead over challenger Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona) in the final few months of this election, confirmed his victory by a clear margin.
Read moreThe polls have closed in Illinois, and, when it comes to the Illinois state legislature, it has been another election in which the politicians chose their voters, and not the other way around. Although Illinois may not be able to adopt independent redistricting, there is another solution, rooted in Illinois' history.
Read moreVirginia’s polls are now closed, and Representative Don Beyer of Virginia’s Eighth District appears to have been elected to his second term, based on early returns. Don Beyer’s first term has marked him as an innovative thinker and a supporter of important election changes.
Read moreIn every state except Louisiana and Georgia, U.S. Senators are elected in a contest in which every voter has one vote, and the candidate with the most votes wins. That means that if more than two candidates run, votes can be split up among them so that the candidate who wins was opposed by most voters. This happens every year, and it contributes to doubts as to the legitimacy of the candidate elected, and to the continued shaming of independent and third party candidates as “spoilers.”
Read moreAs the race for control of the U.S. Senate unfolds on election night, most eyes will be trained on the handful of particularly competitive Senate races. However the dynamics that are likely to unfold in Louisiana are promising to be particularly intriguing. With so many competitive candidates running for Senate, we’re almost certain to see severe vote-splitting, with no candidate winning even close to a majority of the votes, requiring a runoff election.
Read moreThe FairVote presidential tracker, which has been regularly used this fall by National Popular Vote, looks at where major party candidates for president and vice-president have been rallying their supporters at events that are open to the public, free and intended to influence local voters. Our data for the tracker is based on local news reports and the campaigns’ public schedules.
Read moreRanked choice voting has been adopted by several cities in the Bay Area of California and elsewhere to replace a contingent runoff taking place after a November election. One concern for advocates and critics alike is ballot exhaustion, but the data shows reason for optimism.
Read moreThe Washington Post's Chris Cillizza in his "Monday Fix" political column writes that "Minnesota and Wisconsin are getting slightly more Republican with each passing presidential election, but it is a very slow change." This isn't true, actually, and a good reminder of why the National Popular Vote plan for president is so important.
Read moreProfessors Hersh and Fraga’s analysis of electoral competition makes the case that “the picture is much rosier” than FairVote characterizes in calling one of our reports “dubious democracy.” But we stand firmly by our position. In this first post we examine the presidential elections and show that that levels of electoral competition in states are far from healthy. Without rose-tinted glasses, this conclusion is inescapable.
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