Dear John --



It’s nearing the end of a thrilling summer at FairVote. There’s no such thing as the “summer doldrums” when you’re working to improve our nation’s elections - instead, advocates for ranked choice voting (RCV) and the Fair Representation Act have been hard at work all summer.



Alaska voters will use RCV for the first time today in its special election to replace Rep. Don Young (R) in Congress. FairVote also just released our 25th anniversary Monopoly Politics report, <[link removed]> with more reports on the horizon. We celebrated our 30th anniversary <[link removed]>with more than 200 of our supporters and allies, which gave us time to reflect on our legacy and what we aim to achieve by the time we celebrate 40 years in 2032.



We’re also looking forward to an even more impactful fall, starting with the largest number of ballot measures in RCV’s history <[link removed]>. Several cities will use RCV in their elections for the first time this fall, plus Alaska’s trailblazing statewide general election with RCV for Senate, Governor and more. Congress and states will gear up to advance even more RCV legislation than won and passed chambers this year. <[link removed]> Our fall webinar series will launch next month about the same time as the publishing of our revamped website. 



Requests for easy ways to help: 



- Help FairVote speak at SXSW: FairVote has proposed a South by Southwest panel on the future of democracy featuring Rep. Jamie Raskin, Dr. Danielle Allen and myself. Please vote for us!  <[link removed]>While there, please vote for our reform partner RepresentWomen's panel <[link removed]> designed to address electoral reform as well.

- Let people know about ballot measures they can support: We’ve had good luck with supporters alerting people they know about their chance to vote YES for ranked choice voting when on the ballot. There will be at least nine ballot measures to support this November, from Nevada to a string of cities. Take a look at the list, <[link removed]> and think about people you can share the news about the value of voting yes!

- Share the news about FairVote on CSPAN: FairVote does a lot of media these days. One interactive format is CSPAN’s Washington Journal. I’m scheduled to be on live from 9:15 am to 10 am ET this coming Sunday, August 21.



FairVote News



FairVote’s 30th anniversary celebration in July was a huge success, in no small part due to the speakers and supporters who participated in the event:



- Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez <[link removed]> (D-NM 3rd District),

- Rep. Jamie Raskin <[link removed]> (D-MD 8th District), and 

- Rep. Don Beyer <[link removed]> (D-VA 8th District)



We were thrilled by the presence of those who have worked with us over the decades, including those traveling to DC from afar like League of Women Voters of California stalwart Paula Lee, Georgia reformer Mike Kenig and former staffer Caleb Kleppner - joining a whole slew of former staffers who are movers and shakers on their own right like Fred McBride, David Moon, Grace Ramsey, Chris Hughes and Dave O’Brien.



FairVote also recently released two reports:





- 2022 Monopoly Politics <[link removed]>: FairVote has been one of the most reliable forecasters of future Congressional elections for the last 25 years since creating the partisan voting index. Our high confidence projections were over 99% accurate for five of the last six election cycles entirely due to the dominant role of partisanship and stacked gerrymandered districts. As ever, FairVote strongly endorses the Fair Representation Act <[link removed]> as the solution to our noncompetitive and unrepresentative Congress.

- Best Practices for Releasing RCV Results <[link removed]>: FairVote and the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center analyzed results from hundreds of RCV contests. From these results, our two organizations identified six best practices for election administrators to ensure RCV election outcomes are understood and trusted.



Upcoming RCV Elections



Alaska’s first statewide use of ranked choice voting arrives today - the result of years of powerful work by local and national advocates. Alaskans will have the opportunity to rank Sarah Palin (R), Nick Begich (R) and Mary Peltola (D) as part of Alaska’s “open primary” version of RCV to fill the seat formerly held by Rep. Don Young (R), who had held the position for nearly 50 years. 



It's been a fascinating election with 48 diverse candidates in the primary and politicos' first foray into RCV campaigning, including the Alaska GOP's "rank the red" <[link removed]> motto. This November's election -- with regularly scheduled elections for Governor, Congress, and state legislature -- may offer a better window into how RCV will work over time in Alaska.



As they’ve done in the past, Alaska’s division of elections will not present final election results for more than two weeks to ensure overseas/military voters and rural Alaskan voters are counted. For more information on this race, visit Alaskans for Better Elections <[link removed]>, and track FairVote’s media comments and appearances on our Twitter. <[link removed]>



Maine will have another round of congressional elections with RCV, while the California cities of Eureka, Albany, and Palm Desert will join 50-plus municipalities that use RCV in their elections <[link removed]> - underscoring how RCV has become the fastest-growing election reform in the country, with jurisdictions big and small embracing this sensible tool for better elections.



Advocacy Progress



As this year’s state legislative season winds down, we wish to congratulate Maine, Vermont, Hawaii, New York, Utah, and Rhode Island for passing pro-ranked choice voting measures <[link removed]>. Altogether, RCV bills were introduced in more than 20 states this year, with Congress still debating several pro- RCV measures <[link removed]>, some of which have already passed the House. In Congress, Rep. Teresa Fernandez became the latest sponsor of the Fair Representation Act.



We’re also hopeful for some local ballot measure wins this fall, where RCV will be on the ballot in at least nine locations <[link removed]>. This includes one statewide ballot measure in Nevada; two measures to pass the proportional version of RCV in Oregon and Maine’s largest cities; and a ballot measure in Seattle where RCV will go head to head with a less proven system called approval voting. These measures also arrive on the heels of some historic advocacy wins: of the last 13 cities to vote on RCV from 2019-2021, voters have approved each one, with an average victory margin of nearly 30 percentage points. When voters get the chance to try RCV, they overwhelmingly want to. 



FairVote In the News





FairVote’s David Daley has been particularly prominent in news recently, with shout outs from Jane Mayer in the New Yorker <[link removed]>, Jamelle Bouie in the New York Times <[link removed]>, and recent interviews with the Times’ Charles Blow <[link removed]>. As the nation grapples with the future of our elections, David has regularly turned to the Fair Representation Act as a solution to our nation’s gerrymandered districts and polarized electorate. David and FairVote’s Deb Otis also joined The Democracy Group for a thoughtful discussion <[link removed]> on the growing case for ranked choice voting to improve party primaries. 



FairVote has also been a leading source on Alaska’s election, including in Politifact <[link removed]>, Roll Call <[link removed]>, The New Republic <[link removed]>, and MSNBC.



And if you haven’t checked out FairVote’s blog <[link removed]> recently, we’ve covered a gamut of topics related to elections and governance, like the danger of the independent state legislature theory <[link removed]>, the bipartisan history of the Voting Rights Act <[link removed]>, and how the Fair Representation Act will help renew attention for local issues <[link removed]> in politics.



Finally, I wanted to share a new post of mine <[link removed]> on the blog that lifts up our 30 years of partnerships. Here’s how I conclude:



We now enter a fourth decade, one where we seek nothing less than normalizing voting as ranking in the United States, the Fair Representation Act <[link removed]> becoming law, and our nation reaffirming unshakeable commitment to fully participatory, representative democracy. This won’t happen without partners – from national organizations to local volunteers and donors. If you’re new to the cause or would like to get involved <[link removed]>, please consider a donation <[link removed]> or sign up with one of the advocacy groups <[link removed]> near you. FairVote’s history is proof - democracy works best when we all work together.







Thanks so much for reading and for so many of you for your ongoing support.



Rob Richie

FairVote President and CEO







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FairVote - 6930 Carroll Ave, Ste 240, Takoma Park, MD 20912, United States

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