The following is an update from the CVD. As we start to evolve into an action group (for those who want to join me in that route), we need to get more organized around their efforts. I'm actively monitoring NY, but I can't cover the whole country. MN, VT and FL are top states to keep an eye on.
It's become increasing clear that the complexities of Condorcet (completion methods, wv v. margins) make it somewhat untenable as a public proposal. I'm all for approval. But, we do have to concede that people like the expressivity of rank ordering (even if, as in IRV, it has negative consequences). So . . why do we think approval is superior to range (aka cardinal rankings) as a public proposal? Doug FAIR ELECTIONS ACTION IN CONGRESS AND STATES There's been a great new run of legislation in Congress and states-- see http://www.fairvote.org/action/index.htm. Congress 2006 Commission Act (HR 415), sponsored by Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings, would create a commission to study the size of the U.S. House of Representatives and the potential use of full representation voting methods. The bill's 2001 version picked up the support of Martin Frost, one of the frontrunners last year to be the Democratic leader in the House. More and more states are looking to instant runoff voting (IRV), the ranked-choice voting method that ensures a majority winner in one election no matter how many candidates participate. Spurred by third party threats to major party incumbents and by cash-hungry governments wanting to replace expensive runoff contests, IRV has moved to the top of major parties' reform agenda in states such as: * Vermont -- see http://fairvote.org/irv/vt2003/ -- where IRV has benefitted from the support of ex-governor Howard Dean, endorsements from civic groups like the League of Women Voters, Grange, Common Cause, PIRG and AFL-CIO and a grassroots surge that last year swept more than 50 town meeting votes. * Utah, where the Republican Party's use of IRV to nominate Members of Congress at its 2002 convention has sparked interest in expanding its use, as evidenced by a strong letter of support for IRV from the Utah attorney general http://fairvote.org/irv/utahag.htm ; * Florida, where senior lawmakers are looking to IRV as an alternative to traditional "delayed" runoffs following editorial endorsements http://fairvote.org/irv/commentaries.htm from influential Florida papers like the Fort Lauderdale Sun S Sentinel, Palm Beach Post and St. Petersburg Times; * Minnesota, where the growth of former governor Jesse Ventura's Independence Party and the Greens have contributed to endorsements for IRV from the state's governor and the largest newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune http://fairvote.org/op_eds/minnst111202.htm * Maine, where a leading lawmaker publicly announced a goal of implementing IRV for state elections by 2004; Other states that have or will soon have IRV legislation include: California, where the November 2003 mayoral elections with IRV should dramatically increase potential use elsewhere -- for more on San Francisco, see www.fairvote.org/sf/; Hawaii, which held a hearing on an IRV bill on Feb. 10; New Mexico; New York; Virginia; and Washington. Illinois has two intriguing bills developed by the Center's general counsel Dan Johnson-Weinberger. HB 138, which already has unanimously passed its initial committee vote, would grant county boards the authority to adopt cumulative voting in multi-member districts. A second bill, HB 395, would require officials to provide primary election ballots that permit instant runoff voting for absentee voters in the U.S. military or outside of U.S. -- for more on this sensible practice adopted already by Louisiana, see http://www.fairvote.org/irv/lairv.htm. If you live in a state with primary or local runoffs, please urge your state legislators to initiate this legislation. To keep updated on a full range of state legislation affecting political parties, see the invaluable resource Ballot Access News: $14 a year for 12 issues and on line at www.ballot-access.org. ---- For more information about this list (subscribe, unsubscribe, FAQ, etc), please see http://www.eskimo.com/~robla/em
