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Dear John,
About 62 million eligible voters live in congressional districts that are safe for the political party they oppose – and that's not even counting the millions who may feel forced to vote for that party as the "lesser of two evils."
That’s a key finding from FairVote’s latest report, Uncompetitive and Unrepresentative, which sheds light on the dire state of American elections.
When each congressional district only elects one representative, anyone who doesn’t support the winner will spend two years without someone advocating for their views in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Moreover, as gerrymandering techniques become more sophisticated and geography becomes an increasing predictor of Americans’ political views, our elections become less competitive – giving the power over which party controls Congress to just a few voters. In 2022, for instance, only 8% of U.S. House elections were truly competitive.
We can and must do better. The Fair Representation Act would give a voice to all Americans who are currently “locked out of representation” by establishing multi-member congressional districts. Districts with up to five members can do a much better job of reflecting their residents’ diversity of opinion. A district’s conservatives, progressives, and moderates could all see someone they like elected to represent them – something unthinkable in the current system.
There would be real competition in every corner of the country as gerrymandering is all but eliminated. Even in districts considered “safe” for one party, multiple members of that party could compete against each other in the general election, giving voters more meaningful choices.
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Americans want ranked choice voting in presidential primaries
As we approach the 2024 presidential campaign cycle, FairVote partnered with Citizen Data to gauge whether voters are ready for ranked choice voting (RCV) in presidential primaries. By a more than two-to-one margin, voters are interested!
Importantly, ranking in presidential primaries has majority support from every demographic group included in the survey, with the highest support from younger voters and Black and Asian American voters. Over 60% of both Republicans and Democrats are interested in ranking candidates in presidential primaries. |
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Good things happening in Philadelphia
Another poll by SurveyUSA – co-sponsored by FairVote and leading Philadelphia institutions including the good-government group Committee of Seventy – finds that Philadelphia voters want RCV in their local elections by a greater than two-to-one margin, with 53% in favor and just 22% opposed. The poll is timely for Philadelphia, where a nine-candidate Democratic mayoral primary is underway and the leader is polling at just 19%. It’s all but certain no winner will emerge with majority support.
SurveyUSA gave voters the option to rank their preferences for the primary, and 86% of respondents ranked multiple candidates! 79% said they found the process of ranking candidates easy or very easy – even though there has been no RCV campaign or voter education in Philadelphia (45% of respondents said they hadn’t heard of RCV prior to the poll). This aligns with other evidence that voters like using RCV and find it intuitive, even if they’re using it for the first time.
The poll made headlines across Philadelphia, and was referenced by the Philadelphia Inquirer in its strong endorsement of RCV. |
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“There are signs that ranked choice voting’s time may have arrived. All the major Democratic nominees for mayor have publicly embraced the idea at forums, and a poll conducted by the Committee of Seventy suggested that most respondents found the process easy, and favored implementing it in Philadelphia.”
– Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board |
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Keep an eye on progress in state legislatures
More than half of states have had pro-RCV legislation this year, and a number of bills are still in play. Keep an eye on FairVote Action's Get Involved section, which has up-to-date information on state legislation and how you can help. |
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FairVote in the news
As the Election Law Blog noted this week, “there must be something in the water” – ranked choice voting is making news, and so are FairVote's expert staff members.
Research and Policy Director Deb Otis joined a recent episode of The Downballot by Daily Kos Elections, where she discussed how RCV and proportional voting give voters across the political spectrum a stronger voice. A great in-depth listen for election nerds like us! Deb also spoke to The 19th about how ranked choice voting is moving through legislatures across the nation, despite some efforts to preserve the status quo and prevent meaningful change.
Senior Fellow Dave Daley was interviewed on the Fast Politics podcast with Molly Jong-Fast. They discussed Dave’s extensive work on redistricting reform, the impact of recent court decisions, and how the Fair Representation Act would “take the sting” out of gerrymandering. Start listening at 42:09 to hear Dave's segment
In my role as CEO of FairVote, I have been selected by the Washingtonian as one of the 500 most influential people shaping policy for the third year in a row – a testament to the great work of our team and our movement!
We’re also excited that just last week, former Representative Adam Kinzinger highlighted RCV as a way to reduce polarization in American politics, and Cato Institute Senior Fellow Walter Olson wrote in detail about why conservatives should support RCV. |
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Request for proposal: Strategic Planning Consultant(s)
FairVote is growing rapidly, and we’re seeking to scale our impact in the coming decade. Starting in June 2023, we are undertaking a deeper strategic planning process to develop a multi-year strategic plan to implement in 2025 and beyond. We are seeking applications from qualified strategic planners to support the planning process. If you're interested, you can learn more about the details and how to apply here. |
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