John,

In too many congressional districts today, due to a combination of gerrymandering and winner-take-all representation, too many people are left with no voice in the political process. This is especially problematic in the US House of Representatives, where districts have been drawn along partisan lines and regularly shut out people of color, leading to a sense of helplessness and alienation.

Now Rep. Don Beyer has introduced the Fair Representation Act of 2024, which takes a novel approach to solving this problem. It combines three major factors to increase representation of minority views:

1. Rather than having one representative for each district, Congressional districts would be larger, with multiple representatives.

2. Districts would be represented by multiple top candidates who won the most votes in ranked choice voting: over 50% in a one-seat district, over 33% in a two-seat district, over 25% in a three-seat district, and so on.

3. New requirements would strictly prohibit gerrymandering in drawing up congressional districts.

By combining these three factors, districts would be represented by a greater diversity of viewpoints, proportionally reflecting not only the “tyranny of the majority,” but also inclusive of voices of the district’s various minority communities.

Make the US Congress more inclusive of diverse experiences and viewpoints. Sign on as a grassroots co-sponsor of the Fair Representation Act now!

By bringing a wider range of voices into Congress, these reforms provide motivation for compromise and consensus building for the greater good -- crucial democratic ideals that have been lost in today’s scorched-earth politics. They would also open up the electoral system to multiple parties, providing greater alternatives to the two-party system.

The impact would be felt in ensuring representation for all Americans, improving the “Power to Elect” of groups that are currently left out. For instance, Republicans in cities and Democrats in rural areas would have improved chances for representation, as well as people of color and third party voters across the country.

“Power to Elect” refers to the idea that a given demographic group would have their voice represented in a given district. For instance, in a district that is 33% Black and 66% white with three representatives, Black voters would have “Power to Elect” one of these three seats.

Projections show that, under the Fair Representation Act, Black voters would have “Power to Elect” in 26% of districts across the country, versus only 5% now. To be clear, this does not mean 26% of seats would be held by Black candidates; rather, it means that in 26% of districts, at least one candidate could receive enough votes from Black voters to be elected as one of the district’s multiple representatives.

Since 13% of the U.S. population is Black, under the FRA, a much greater proportion of the Black community would have some Congressional representation. Similarly, Asian Americans would have “Power to Elect” in 6% of districts (versus under 1% now) and Latinos in 22% (versus 6% today).

The result of such an approach would be a Congress that looks very different from the warring camps of Red and Blue that we see today, where extremists are over-represented and views that diverge from the political poles are exiled out of existence. Instead, Congress would look considerably more diverse and reflective of the actual ideological make-up of the country. Indeed, we would likely see many more Independent representatives, since Independents make up 43% of the electorate.

Finally, by enabling a district’s left, right, and center to each earn their share of representation within a district, gerrymandering would become meaningless as well as prohibited by the legislation. Politicians would have incentives to “reach across the aisle” without effectively destroying their political careers by losing their “base.” New coalitions could form.  

Add your voice to those calling for better representation of diverse viewpoints and people of color in the US Congress. Sign on as a grassroots co-sponsor today.

Thank you for your support for improved representation of racial, ethnic, and political minority viewpoints in the US Congress.

- Amanda

Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund