The Most Important Thing John Oliver Said About Gerrymandering, and the Solution He Forgot to Mention
Posted on What's New Austin Plier on April 11, 2017

On HBO’s “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver tackled an issue that many consider the most pressing threat to our democracy: gerrymandering. The most important part of the segment came, however, when Oliver acknowledged that the root of the problem is not the folks who draw the lines, but our winner-take-all system of elections.
Read moreGerrymandering and its Effect on Fair Representation
Posted on What's New Author Lane Baldwin on February 22, 2017

In their recent report, the Campaign Legal Center documents the effect that gerrymandering can have on election results.
Read moreLikely Changes in US House Seat Distribution for 2020
Posted on What's New Theodore Landsman on December 30, 2016

Last week, Real Clear Politics extrapolated demographic trends to project which states are likely to gain or lose U.S. House seats in the reapportionment that will occur after the 2020 Census. Their forecast has nine states losing one U.S. House seat and six states gaining seats. These are only projections, but given that we are now six years into the decade, many of the demographic shifts of the decade are already well advanced and difficult to reverse.
Read moreThe Promise of Wisconsin's Gerrymandering Lawsuit - And Its Limits
Posted on What's New Drew Penrose on December 16, 2016

Two days before Thanksgiving 2016, a three-judge panel struck down partisan gerrymandering as unconstitutional in a challenge to Wisconsin’s state legislative redistricting plan. If the Court sides with the plaintiffs and strikes down partisan gerrymandering, it will be important – but it will not be as world-changing as some are claiming.
Read moreThe Violence of Faction: Partisanship Hardens in 2016
Posted on What's New Drew Penrose on December 05, 2016

A hallmark of American democracy is that we vote for candidates and not parties. As voters, we pride ourselves on supporting the best candidates, irrespective of their political party affiliations. This “crossover voting” or “ticket splitting” - voting for nominees of different political parties for different offices - is dying.
Read moreWhy 2016 was a Stronger Year for Incumbents
Posted on What's New Sarah John on November 11, 2016

The 2016 U.S. House election was a better election for incumbents than 2014, and one in which the nation was split down the middle. The incumbency bump added eight points to the average incumbent’s margin of victory and only 12 seats (3%) of seats changed hands.
Read moreMonopoly Politics Projections for 2016 US House Election 100% Accurate
Posted on What's New Sarah John on November 11, 2016

In what many might have been assumed to be an unpredictable election, FairVote was able to project the outcomes of over 80% of U.S. House seats with 100% accuracy two years ahead of Election Day 2016.
Read moreGerrymandering Pays Off in Wisconsin
Posted on What's New Drew Penrose on November 08, 2016

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 moreNorth Carolina: When the Seats Don’t Reflect the Votes
Posted on What's New Maya Efrati on November 08, 2016

Results in North Carolina show the extent of the state’s unfair partisan gerrymandering in congressional and legislative elections. Such e distortions and battles have serious consequences both for the quality of North Carolinians representation and electoral integrity.
Read moreNo Vote on Fair Districts in Illinois
Posted on What's New Drew Penrose on November 08, 2016

The 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.
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