Joint Policy Brief Features FairVote Reforms

40 Ways Touts NPV, Instant Runoff and Proportional Voting

Released on Thursday, March 14, The Democracy Protection Act: 40 Ways Toward a More Perfect Union calls on lawmakers to enact forty reforms including instant runoff voting, proportional voting and the National Popular Vote plan.

40 Ways is a joint publication of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, Demos, the New Democracy Project and Nation magazine. Other proposals range from public financing of campaigns to strengthening civil rights to reform of classroom science curricula. Each proposal has a small chapter explaining its details and rationale.

Paper copies are available for $7 from the New Democracy Project.

[ Download the brief (PDF-574kb) ]
[ Order copies from New Democracy Project ]
[ Proportional voting ]
[ Instant runoff voting ]
[ National Popular Vote links ]

Endorsements Roll in for National Popular Vote

Formal endorsements continue to roll in for the National Popular Vote Plan, including new support from the Latino Congreso and the Asian American Action Fund, as well as an increasing number of state level groups.

They follow a major endorsement by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) in December 2006, unanimously adopted by the Judiciary Committee at its annual meeting in Jackson, Mississippi. It was adopted by acclamation on the floor.

• [ National Black Caucus of State Legislators ]
  
• [ National Latino Congreso resolution ]
• [ Asian American Action Fund ]
• [ All endorsers ]
  

More Alohas From Presidential Contenders?

Key Hawaii State Senate Committee Clears NPV Plan

The National Popular Vote compact passed 5-0 through the Hawaii Senate's Judiciary and Labor Committee on February 6. Ten state representatives introduced it in the House there in January. On February 14, NPV passed the state senate 19-4. Hawaii is one of 46 states in which the bill is sponsored.

Hawaii also led the nation in implementing another FairVote-backed proposal that is gathering rapidly growing support: a uniform advance voter registration age of 16.

Back on the mainland, Maryland Delegate Sheila Hixson has sponsored the plan in that state, with a ringing endorsement in the Takoma Voice. Meanwhile National Popular Vote has launched a new website with an interactive map allowing visitors to track progress. NPV also has secured key endorsements from the National Caucus of Black State Legislators and National Latino Congreso.

NEW: [ HI bill clears state senate 19-4 ]
[ Read FairVote director Rob Richie's testimony to the HI legislature ]
[ Read Del. Hixson's endorsement ]
[ Track NPV's progress at nationalpopularvote.com ]
[ FairVote's pages on NPV, including formal endorsers ]
[ More on uniform advance registration ]

Colorado Senate Passes National Popular Vote Plan

The National Popular Vote bill in Colorado (SB 46) passed the third and final reading in full Senate on Wednesday, January 24. Among the sponsors was Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon.

The Colorado Senate passed the NPV bill last year, along with the California Assembly and Senate, with strong support from states from Louisiana to Illinois. In 2007, momentum appears to be building all across the country. Nearly all 50 have a bill introduced in the legislature.

[ More on The National Popular Vote campaign ]