Landmark report on proportional representation, news at the Supreme Court, and RCV elections

Dear John,

As we approach Election Day, there’s both new hope and cause for concern in the push for fair representation and better elections. Read on to learn about:

A new report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on how to transform Congress
A critical Voting Rights Act case before the Supreme Court
The 18 cities and counties using ranked choice voting this year

New report: Reinventing Congress for the 21st Century

Last week, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences – a leading cross-disciplinary research center and society founded by John Adams and John Hancock in 1780 – released an important new report on how to fix our broken Congress. I was honored to be a contributor to this report, which makes a powerful case for a shift to proportional representation (PR).

The authors highlight how proportional representation can empower voters and improve governance:

“In proportional systems, more votes tend to contribute to ‘winning’ outcomes. In any multi-seat district, for example, a party that earns 40 percent of the vote will secure at least one of those seats, whereas a party garnering that same vote share in a single-member district would win nothing. Under the proportional system, more candidates and, in turn, their voters have won. This may be one chief explanation of higher voter turnout rates in proportional systems.”

They also discuss the real-world record of proportional representation in reducing polarization:

“A winner-take-all electoral system can therefore make escalating polarization more difficult to escape… Proportional systems are associated with lower levels of political violence globally compared with winner-take-all. Electoral losers also have greater levels of trust in their democratic institutions in proportional systems than those in winner-take-all.”

The Academy previously endorsed proportional representation – using RCV and multi-member districts – in its landmark Our Common Purpose report in 2020. The new report doubles down on the Academy’s support for proportional representation, and goes into more detail on why PR is so important and how it could be implemented. As the report rightly notes, it would not require a constitutional amendment – just an act of Congress.

On Wednesday, November 5 at 2:30pm ET, the Academy is hosting a virtual event to discuss the new report. You can register using the button below. We hope you can make it!

Voting rights before the Supreme Court

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could shape the future of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The Court may limit the drawing of majority-minority congressional districts – one of the critical remaining VRA protections ensuring fair representation for voters of color.

Lakeisha Steele, FairVote’s new Vice President of Federal Affairs and Partnerships, shared her family’s story in highlighting the importance of the VRA:

“My mother, who recently passed away, was born in 1948 in Greenville, Mississippi – the heart of the Jim Crow South… She told me about the indignities and intimidation [her parents] experienced – like all Black Americans during Jim Crow – with literacy tests, poll taxes, the grandfather clause, and constant fear…

“A Supreme Court decision that weakens Section 2 of the VRA would not only harm Black voters in Louisiana; it would jeopardize our nation’s ability to ensure full citizenship, fair representation, and a multiracial democracy.”

Read Lakeisha’s full story here. FairVote stands with the voting rights community in the fight to preserve the Voting Rights Act, and will continue to advocate for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure our democracy reflects all Americans.

FairVote’s Lakeisha Steele and Ryan Suto at a rally to protect the Voting Rights Act outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday

The 18 cities and counties using RCV in 2025

Ranked choice voting is now used in dozens of cities, counties, and states across the U.S. In 2025, 18 cities and counties are using RCV in their elections – including the most populous cities in three states.

Some of those cities – like New York, home to over 8 million people – already used RCV in primaries or spring elections. Other major cities are using RCV in their November general elections, with early and mail voting underway in many.

Minneapolis, St. Paul, Santa Fe, and Fort Collins, CO all have closely watched mayoral elections using RCV. FairVote is especially excited that voters in Fort Collins will get to use RCV for the first time this November!

See a full list of jurisdictions using RCV this year here. We look forward to sharing more about these elections in the coming weeks.

Before you go…

Want to read even more about election reform? We know the feeling! Here are some additional articles and a new report you may enjoy:

FairVote CEO Meredith Sumpter shares why business leaders should care about election reform.
FairVote’s Avram Reisman explains why New York City should use RCV for general elections – like it already does for primaries.
Researchers at the Institute for Mathematics and Democracy examine over 4,000 elections using various voting methods, and find that RCV is one of the best ways to prevent vote-splitting and strategic voting.

Onward,
Deb Otis
Director of Research and Policy

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