Join us at 2 p.m. ET for an insider briefing on this bold, comprehensive
legislation. Donate Today Dear John,
This morning, theFair Representation Actwas reintroduced in Congress by Reps.
Don Beyer (VA-8) and Jamie Raskin (MD-8). This bold, comprehensive solution can
stop gerrymandering and make Congress work for every American.
It makes every congressional district competitive, and encourages politicians to
represent everyone instead of just their base.Ask your representativeto support
it today!
FairVote is hosting an insider briefing about the bill at 2 p.m. ET today, and
we hope you can make it!Register here.
Read on to learn more about what’s in the bill, what to expect from the
briefing, and a new book about proportional representation.
What’s in the bill?
The Fair Representation Act can transform Congress without a constitutional
amendment, and has three main components:
* Multi-member districts. In three- or five-member districts, nearly every
voter will elect a candidate they support. Voters like Massachusetts
Republicans and Oklahoma Democrats will be represented in Congress.
Gerrymandering will become nearly impossible.
* Ranked choice voting for all U.S. House and Senate elections. RCV frees
voters to support their favorite candidates, and encourages candidates to
reach out to more voters for second-choice support. When RCV is used in
multi-member districts, it is a form of proportional representation.
* Uniform rules for congressional redistricting.
With these reforms, Americans would experience better representation, better
political campaigns, and better governance. Earlier today, a group ofleading
scholarsendorsed the bill for these reasons, urging Congress to “end our broken
winner-take-all elections by passing the Fair Representation Act.”
Better representation
Each state with three or more representatives would draw multi-member districts
instead of single-member districts. Research has found that this system would
lead to fair partisan and racial representation, regardless of how the lines are
drawn.
The Fair Representation Act will create more opportunities for Americans across
the political spectrum to be represented in government. If a community
represents 25% of voters in a three-member district or 17% in a five-member
district, they’ll be able to elect a candidate of their choice. This maximizes
the number of voters who can elect someone who represents their interests –
including urban Republicans and rural Democrats, women, and people of color.
Better governance
Multi-member districts would likely elect members of both major parties,
incentivizing collaboration across party lines. By making more voters count in
the general election, the Fair Representation Act will reward elected officials
for their ability to tackle big issues.
Most democracies worldwide use proportional systems to elect more functional
legislatures; Ireland and Australia have both used RCV and multi-member
districts for 100 years, and citizens inbothcountriesare far more satisfied with
their democracy than Americans.
In 2021, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Practice
of Democratic Citizenship – co-chaired by FairVote Action Board Member Dr.
Danielle Allen – recommended multi-member districts and ranked choice voting as
key reforms in itsOur Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the
21st Century report.
Better campaigns
Each multi-member district will be competitive in the general election, not just
the primary. With RCV, successful candidates will have to appeal to more voters
and different bases of support, often asking for 2nd- and 3rd-choice support on
voters’ ranked ballots. Issues, rather than mudslinging, will take center stage.
With RCV, voters won’t “waste” their vote on a longshot candidate; their vote
can simply count for a backup choice if their favorite doesn’t stand a chance.
Additionally, RCV allows voters to rank candidates from multiple parties.
The Fair Representation Act: Insider Briefing
At 2 p.m. ET today, FairVote is hosting avirtual briefingon the Fair
Representation Act. It will be moderated by Ryan Suto, FairVote’s Senior Policy
Advisor, and will feature:
* David O’Brien of RepresentUs
* Deb Otis of FairVote
* Minister Christian S. Watkins of the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social
Justice
You’ll have the opportunity to learn about the major components of the bill and
how they work together to fix what’s wrong with Congress. Panelists will also
discuss how this bill improves on previous versions and its path forward in the
House, and take audience questions.Sign up hereto attend.
Our Shared Republic makes the case for proportional representation in America
Alongside the reintroduction of the Fair Representation Act, we’re excited to
share policy strategist Drew Penrose’sbook, Our Shared Republic: The Case for
Proportional Representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In his book, Penrose makes the case, in an honest and thorough way, for a switch
from winner-take-all voting to a form of proportional representation for the
House of Representatives. The book examines decades of data on uncompetitive
elections and political polarization, along with in-depth discussion of how
multi-member congressional districts with proportional ranked choice voting
would lead to fairer representation for all.
Want to learn about Drew’s project but don’t have time to read the book just
now? Check out Drew and FairVote Senior Fellow David Daley’sfantastic new op-ed
in The Fulcrum, “How a new way of electing the House can change our politics.”
You can also learn more about Drew Penrose, his book, and the Our Shared
Republic projecthere!
Thank you for taking the time to learn about the Fair Representation Act. We
hope you’llcontact your representativeand ask them to support the FRA today!
Onward,
Ryan Suto
FairVote Action Senior Policy Advisor
Donate Today Copyright © 2023 FairVote Action, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
8484 Georgia Ave, Suite 240, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can unsubscribe from this list.
