Friend,



Amidst the challenges of a pandemic, it is encouraging to see growing hope for winning electoral reform and FairVote’s long-time goals: new uses of ranked choice voting; a slew of upcoming ballot measures; a “tournament” win; and ranked choice voting being featured on Netflix and a prominent commission report.



RCV is not necessarily at the forefront of people's minds as millions of Americans lift up their voices to oppose police violence and systemic racism. FairVote’s core values are that voices need to be heard and that all votes should be counted. We aspire to a peaceful and just society where our government represents all of us and stand in solidarity with champions for racial equality. Although not to be overstated, there are connections between that urgent goal and reforming our elections. In one timely new article, our Executive VP for Policy and Programs Khalid Pitts addressed RCV and voter disenfranchisement in this op-ed in The Hill <[link removed]>.



We hope our overview of reform progress inspires you as much as it has inspired us.





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Major Democracy Commission Embraces FairVote’s Reform Goals



The American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship recently issued its final report that features adoption of RCV <[link removed]> and incentives for proportional voting among recommendations <[link removed]> for congressional elections. FairVote was a resource to the Commission, presented its co-chair Danielle Allen with our Champion of Democracy award last fall, and will collaborate in building support for its recommendations.



Presidential Primaries and Party Contests Showcase Ranked Choice Voting



This year, more than two-thirds of Democratic voters in the Nevada presidential caucuses and all voters in four Democratic Party-run presidential primaries <[link removed]> cast RCV ballots. FairVote provided on-the-ground education support to voters in Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas and Wyoming after FairVote Action had helped secure these wins. Voter turnout soared, voters handled RCV ballots remarkably well, and far more votes counted for delegates.



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With RCV, voters do not have to choose between the candidate they felt represented them and the candidate they thought was most likely to stay in the race. If RCV had been used across all presidential primaries, more than two million voters who backed candidates who dropped out before their state’s primary would instead have had their vote help a backup earn delegates.



Take Action! If you live in Hawaii, Wyoming, Alaska, or Kansas and voted in these elections -- or know others that did -- please let us know what the experience was like for you. Email us at [email protected] or tag us on Twitter (@FairVote <[link removed]>) or Facebook (FairVoteReform <[link removed]>).



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RCV Featured on Minhaj’s Netflix Series, in Books, and in FairVote Writings and Events



Take time to watch Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act excellent June 21st episode <[link removed]>, which is dedicated entirely to RCV and the problems it addresses.



It’s been a special year for books featuring RCV, including:



- FairVote’s Dave Daley chronicles the voting rights and electoral reform movements that are sweeping the nation, including RCV in Maine, in Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy <[link removed]>

- Katherine Gehl and Harvard Business School’s Michael Porter’s The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy <[link removed]> makes a compelling case against a broken system and calls for RCV.





- Maplight’s Daniel Newman’s new graphic book Unrig: How to Fix our Broken Democracy <[link removed]> includes creative explanations of RCV and proportional representation.





- Earlier books making the case for RCV and/or the Fair Representation Act included Lee Drutman’s Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop <[link removed]>, Neal Simon’s Contract to Unite America <[link removed]>, and Edward Foley’s Presidential Elections and Majority Rule <[link removed]>.  



As reported here <[link removed]>, major newspapers editorialized in favor of RCV this spring, including the New York Times, Washington Post, and papers in Buffalo, St. Louis and San Antonio. The magazine Fast Company picked the RCV Act (HR 4464) as a “World Changing Ideas” <[link removed]> finalist.



My colleagues and I had regular opportunities to speak, including this well-attended briefing <[link removed]>, where Unite America released a new report <[link removed]> supporting expanded use of RCV in presidential primaries. You can track our many published op-eds on our Twitter <[link removed]> and Facebook <[link removed]> pages.







Important Advances for RCV Nationally and In States and Cities





- The State of Virginia passed two local options bills for RCV <[link removed]>, enabling cities to opt into RCV in 2021. Arlington County is poised to act after its local Democratic party regularly chooses candidates with RCV, including this spring for a county board nominee <[link removed]> and for school board candidates <[link removed]>.





- RCV won big on the ballot <[link removed]> in Maine’s largest city of Portland in March. After three mayoral elections with RCV, 81% of voters backed expanding RCV to all city offices in a campaign led by the League of Women Voters of Maine and its Portland allies.





- RCV is heading to statewide ballots. <[link removed]> in November. Massachusetts will vote <[link removed]> on passage of Maine-style RCV. At least one state (Alaska <[link removed]>) will vote on a package of changes that includes RCV in a “Top Four primary,” as might North Dakota <[link removed]> and Arkansas <[link removed](2020)>. Other city councils may join Albany, CA <[link removed]> and Eureka, CA <[link removed]> in placing RCV on the ballot, including San Diego <[link removed]> and cities in Minnesota <[link removed]>and Vermont.





- At the League of Women Voters US biennial convention <[link removed]> this month, 93% of its 1,143 delegates voted to approve a new position to “support electoral systems at each level of government that encourage participation, are verifiable and auditable and enhance representation for all voters.” This position enables LWVUS and its state and local ams to advocate for ranked choice voting and proportional voting.





- The Fulcrum held a series of reader votes to choose among 64 reform proposals in its “Democracy Madness” tournament. RCV was the champion <[link removed]>, defeating the National Popular Vote plan in the final round.





- The number of colleges and universities using RCV for student elections <[link removed]> soared past 75, with 13 new adoptions and uses including Auburn, George Washington, Swarthmore, UC Santa Cruz, and the Universities of Houston, Michigan, and Wyoming.





- The Academy of Motion Pictures uses the proportional form of RCV for nearly all its Oscar nominations and now will do so for Best Picture nominees <[link removed]>; RCV was already used to pick the Best Picture winner. The Academy expanded its use of RCV to elect its governing Board; RCV winners this year <[link removed]> included Whoopi Goldberg and Ava DuVernay.





- Basalt, Colorado in April used RCV in its three-candidate race for mayor <[link removed]>. In November, Benton County (OR) will use RCV for the first time, joining five other cities in California and Maryland.





- State groups <[link removed]> continue to form and build support for change. Among many examples: - Voter Choice Connecticut <[link removed]> worked with allies in the legislature to raise a bill to establish a task force <[link removed]>to study RCV. 

- FairVote Washington <[link removed]>’s webinar series included A Conversation with David Daley <[link removed]> and Ranked-Choice Voting: Diversity in Democracy and Fair Representation <[link removed]>

- Rank My Vote Florida <[link removed]> boasts active groups in Sarasota, Jacksonville, Miami, and Gainesville. 







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FairVote’s Week of Action for RCV and Safe and Fair Elections 



In May, hundreds of volunteers and local advocates came together for a Week of Action. A quick look at some of the numbers:



- 150 of you attended our kickoff webinar and collaborated on ways to bring RCV to your communities.

- More than 500 of you used RankIt.Vote <[link removed]> to show what RCV looks like in action.

- Hundreds of you reached out to governors to call for safe and fair elections this November (see our resource page <[link removed]> on handling the impact of Covid-19 on election).



Visit our week of action summary <[link removed]> to take action and encourage others to join you!



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Staff and Board Changes



FairVote’s team is growing <[link removed]>. You’ve heard from Ashley Houghton, our new Communications Director. Khalid Pitts has joined us as the Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Programs, and Jennifer Nassour joined our Board of Directors. With your support we expect to hire several new staff this fall. At the Board level, Krist Novoselic, Cynthia Terrell, Bill Redpath, Paul Jacob, Joe Swimmer, and Susannah Wellford made way for new leadership after 68 years of collective service. Our thanks to all of them!







We’re especially excited to see Maine voters use RCV for their July primary elections and their November general elections -- potentially for president. We can’t wait to see more voters benefit from RCV! If you’d like to contribute towards our efforts, please donate here <[link removed]>.  We also urge you to consider donations to national partners and state leaders <[link removed]>.



Wishing you health, comfort and a vote that counts,



Rob Richie

President and CEO

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