I agree that some at-large council members might make sense if they were
electioned proportionally. I do not think that Instant Runoff Voting (also
known as majority preference voting) would actually accomplish this, however.
Instant Runnoff Voting is most udeful when there is a single member distict or
ward. It would actually be useful for all the ward elections now, as well as
the mayoral election and most of the park & rec board election. I am convinced
that it would result in healthier, more positive and issue oriented campaigns.
If we were to create some at large seats (as I advocated some years back) they
should definitely be elected using a proportional system. The model I was
advocating in '99 would have resulted in 6 wards set up to match the park & rec.
districts and 7 at large seats elected proportionally based on the percentage of
votes a party received.
The two most likely options to elect the at large members proportionally would
be through a single transferable voting system (as used in Cambridge Mass.)
where voters do rank candidates as they do with Instant Runoff Voting or by
using some kind of party (or other group) list. There are a number of good, and
tested, methods for elected representatives from multi-member districts which
ensoure both majority rule and minority representation.
I would also encourage folks (as a founding member of Fairvote Minnesota) to
check out Russell's resources as well as these PR Library:
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/polit/damy/prlib.htm, and The Center for Voting &
Democracy at http://www.fairvote.org
If the city-wide members were elected in any way besides proportional
repsentation I would be very reluctant to support and likely to work against it.
Cam Gordon
Candidate for City Council,
Ward 2
- - Cedar Riverside/Westbank, Como, Dinkytown, Marcy Holms,
Motley/Stadium Village, Propsect Park, University of Mn, Seward
914 Franklin Terrace
Mpls. MN 55406-1101
(612) 332-6210
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