Key Event Details

When: December 8th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm -- followed by a reception honoring several state legislators and local elected officials who have taken the lead in promoting electoral reform.

Where: Washington, DC -- Public Welfare Foundation Auditorium at 1200 U Street NW (U Street Station on Washington Metro Green Line)

Who: 100-150 democracy advocates, grantmakers, elected officials (see current list below; event is invitation-only)

What: Strategic discussion about advancing innovative electoral reforms / Early evening reception to honor reformers

Event Purpose

The 2008 election was all about change. Electoral reform and voting rights typically are won in waves, triggered by public awareness of current problems and catalyzed by changes that trigger more talk of change. We may be entering another such fruitful reform period, as suggested by the rapid emergence of bold new ideas like universal voter registration and winning a national popular vote for president -- reform ideas that have moved from visionary ideals to practical possibilities in a space of two years.

A single day is not enough time to cover all the important work that must be done to advance voting rights and electoral reform, but we see this gathering as a terrific opportunity -- first, to examine several "big change" innovative ideas and reform strategies that hold promise for advances in the short term and. second, to trigger strategic communication about these and other reforms. The meeting will take place in a plenary format, with the bulk of the time to involve audience participation in dialogue and questions. We also have a separate meeting room available for side presentations and discussions.

For each policy area, the lead presenter will be asked to explain the reform proposal, suggest the best ways to advance it nationally and in states and to propose tactics to win new allies. For each proposal presentations of 15 to 20 minutes will be followed by 25 to 30 minutes of questions and ideas for action. (Note that the audience doesn't need to be chearleaders for these ideas -- they are encouraged to raise any problems they have with the proposal.)