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Fair Elections Update
July
2, 2003
To:
Friend of Fair Elections Fr: Rob Richie, Executive Director
The Center for Voting and Democracy (CVD) www.fairvote.org, [email protected]
Re: - Democracy Index: No-Choice Elections;
Distorted Representation; Runoffs a Turnoff
- CVD's
Democracy USA Initiative
and Major "Claim Democracy" Conference in November / Job
Opening - TX
Redistricting Highlights Broken System & Case for
Full Representation / CVD Op-Ed in Wash. Post - Full
Representation Advances
in Illinois, Seattle and Cincinnati / CVD
Events in Florida - Instant
Runoff : New Support from SF Ethics
Commission, Mark Green, LWV-Calif., FL Papers And New Use by Utah
Republicans, Dem. Prez Poll - Help
America Vote Act : Committees
Boost Fair Elections Systems Amidst Advances and Setbacks - Fair Elections Rundown
: Spanning the Globe - Newsweek: Winner-take-all a
loser in Iraq - Canada: Advances for full representation - Full rep.
elections in Wales, Scotland - New adoptions for choice voting -
Argentina's prez needs runoff to win - Tracking elections around the
world - Democratic Presidential Primaries - A Request: Help Fund CVD
with Your Vote! (For more information about issues
discussed here or to support our Center, visit www.fairvote.org or email us at
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the end of this edition. Finally, we
encourage sharing this message with friends.)
DEMOCRACY INDEX: NO-CHOICE ELECTIONS; DISTORTED REPRESENTATION;
RUNOFFS A TURNOFF Our Center periodically issues reports, such as
our Monopoly Politics analysis that allowed us immediately after the
November 2002 elections to pick winners and victory margins in more
than 350 U.S. House races in the November 2004. We recently have
issued three new reports: An updated edition of "Dubious
Democracy" that highlights the record lack of competition in 2002
congressional races, comparing states on several measures of
electoral health since 1982: http://www.fairvote.org/dubdem
A short review and analysis of
uncontested state legislative races, in which well over one-third of
all state legislative races again were won without any opposition.
See our report and state reports from Texans for Public Justice and
Massachusetts Common Cause and Mass Vote: http://fairvote.org/reports/uncontestedraces.htm
http://www.tpj.org/Lobby_Watch/uncontestedraces.html
http://www.commoncause.org/states/massachusetts
A report on the dramatic voter
turnout decline in federal primary runoffs, with 82 of the last 84
federal primary runoffs experiencing voter turnout decline. http://www.fairvote.org/turnout/federaldecline.htm
We've
created a Democracy Index to highlight some of our findings: Voter Turnout
- International rank of United States in voter turnout
in national elections since 1945: 139.
- Percentage of adults in California who voted in U.S.
House races in 2002: 28%. Effective Votes and
Choices
- Percentage of adult Americans who voted for a
winning candidate in all U.S. House races in 2002: 23.5%.
- Percentage of those voters choosing among at least
three viable House candidates: 0%.
- Percentage of Danish adults who voted for a winning
candidate in their 2001 national elections: 80%.
- Percent of Danish voters choosing among
at least three viable candidates: 100%. Lack of Competion in US
House Races
- Average winning percentage in 2002 House races: 69%.
- Percentage of U.S. House races won by landslide
margins of at least 20%: 82%.
- Number of states where fewer than half of races were
landslide wins: 6.
- Number of these states with 4 or more races: 1
(Iowa). Lack of Competition in State
Legislative Races
- Number of state legislative races with uncontested
winners in 2002: 37%.
- Number of states with uncontested winners in more
than half of state assembly seats: 15.
- Number with two-thirds of seats uncontested: 5
(Arkansas, Florida, Mass., South Carolina, Wyoming).
- From 1980-2002, number of incumbent state
legislators in New York seeking re-election: 2,321.
- Number defeated: 30 (1%).
- Average victory margin for NY incumbents, 1970: 20%.
- Average victory margin in
2002: More than 50%. Distortions in Seats and
Votes
- Percentage of growth in share of national vote won
by Republican U.S. House candidates from 1992 to 2000: 3%.
- Percentage of growth in share of
national seats won by Republican House candidates from 1992 to 2000:
10%. U.S. Senate and Majority Rule
- Number of adults who are represented by at least one
Democrat or independent in the U.S. Senate: 141 million.
- Number of adults represented by at least one
Republican in the U.S. Senate: 117 million.
- Party that won the
most votes in U.S. Senate races in 1998-2002: Democrats. Representation of Women
and Racial Minorities
- Direction of number of women in state legislatures
and Congress since 1998: Down.
- Direction of number of African Americans and Asian
Americans in Congress since 1994: Down.
- Percentage of Americans who are African American or
Latino: 26%.
- Percentage of U.S. Senators in these two
groups: 0%. Runoff Elections:Voter
Turnout and Campaign Finance
- Of 84 federal primaries going to runoffs in 1994-
2002, number where voter turnout declined in runoff: 82.
- Average turnout change in these runoffs: 35% decline
- Number of these runoffs won by a candidate who finished second in
first round: 24 (29%)
- Independent expenditures made to support or oppose
candidates for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the
November 2002 general election: $59,357.
- Amount of such expenditures in
the December 2002 runoff elections in one-on-one races: $202,548
# # # # #
DEMOCRACY USA AND NOV.
CONFERENCE / JOB OPENING In light of such evidence of our growing
"democracy deficit," the Center for Voting and Democracy's Board of
Directors -- headed by former independent presidential candidate
John B. Anderson -- has launched the Democracy USA initiative.
Democracy USA is designed to build support for the right to vote and
strengthen the pro-democracy movement in the United States. The
Center seeks to play a catalytic role in fostering national
coordination of pro-democracy groups to provide support for a full
range of pro-democracy reforms in the states. Democracy USA is
taking the lead in organizing a "Claim Democracy" conference, to be
held November 21-23 in Washington, DC, to celebrate, secure and
expand the power of the right to vote. The conference will bring
together a diverse range of national and state reformers, scholars
and elected officials to ensure the demand for a stronger democracy
is heard and acted upon. The conference will include both
high-profile plenary sessions and hands-on workshops and trainings
on the full range of needed reforms to our elections. Please save
the date! Our Center is not abandoning our work for fair election
methods. Quite the contrary: rather, we are establishing the
initiative with an understanding that "a rising tide lifts all
boats." Like most reformers, we believe there is no magic bullet
solution to problems with our democracy, and that all pro-democracy
work will be enhanced with a stronger infrastructure of support in
states to pursue a full range of reform opportunities when
opportunities emerge. The initiative initially will promote only
principles of strong democracy rather than a specific set of
reforms. These principles will be grounded on the need to protect,
expand and exercise the right to vote. Components of Democracy USA
include: a media campaign to draw attention to advances and setbacks
in states and efforts by pro-democracy advocates; creation of the
John Anderson Fund for Independent Politics; establishment of a
"Citizen's Declaration" in support of the Democracy USA initiative;
and a website with news and "blogs." Noteworthy writings relating to
the initiative include: The Center's Board resolution
establishing Democracy USA at http://www.fairvote.org/democracyusa/resolution.htm
"Action Potential: We may be
building democracy in Iraq, but could use election-reform measures
of our own" -- Commentary by CVD's Steven Hill and Rob Richie in The
American Prospect On-Line http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/americanproaction.htm
"Democracy Unbalanced," by Richie
and Hill in Balt. Sun, http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/baltsun050203.htm
"A Right to Vote" -- Commentary by
Washington College of Law's Jamin Raskin making the case for
establishing an affirmative constitutional right to vote in the U.S.
Constitution. http://www.fairvote.org/democracyusa/raskin.htm
To help organize "Claim
Democracy," the Center is seeking to hire a short-term staffer.
Details are posted on our website. http://www.fairvote.org/about_us/job_listings.htm
# # # # # TEXAS
REDISTRICTING HIGHLIGHTS BROKEN SYSTEM AND THE CASE FOR REFORM / CVD
OP-ED IN WASH. POST "Gerrymandering has become a "Friday the 13th"
horror movie. Just when we thought it was over, it returns, like the
implacable, hockey-masked villain, refusing to die. Its latest
resurrection is in Texas, where the state legislature is meeting in
special session as part of a brazen bid to protect the Republican
majority in the U.S. House of Representatives..." Thus starts a new commentary by
CVD's Rob Richie and Steven Hill in the July 1, 2003 Washington
Post. Note incumbent abuse of redistricting is a bi-partisan
activity -- and one that neither major party seems willing to
address. The only congressional legislation in 2003 with the word
"redistricting" was introduced in May by Congresswoman Maxine Waters
to stop mid-decennial redistricting - as if the anti-democratic
nature of the process isn't glaring at the start of a decade. Our
full commentary: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55791-2003Jul1.html
The Texas controversy has sparked a range of strong commentary and
media coverage. For example: More Richie/Hill commentary in a
piece that appeared in major newspapers in Houston and Forth Worth,
Texas. http://www.fairvote.org/commentary/chronicle062903.htm
See recently posted national and
state coverage in our 50-state "Mapping our Future" guide to
redistricting: http://www.fairvote.org/redistricting
Excellent C.S. Monitor commentary
about why Texas should direct us to full representation voting
methods: http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/mattersofprop.htm
Note that the courts continue to
be active on the issues of redistricting, and the U.S. Supreme Court
has taken up a challenge to Pennsylvania congressional districts as
a potential unconstitutional gerrymander. See http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/001070.html
For examples of key rulings, see
our redistricting home page: http://www.fairvote.org/redistricting/index.html
Postings include: 1) an opinion by the Indiana Supreme Court
in March 2003 ruling that established a criteria-driven process for
Indianapolis city council districts because redistricting had been
excessively partisan and established a criteria-driven commission;
2) information on the Veith v. Jubelirer case on alleged partisan
gerrymandering in Pennsylvania; and 3) the Supreme Court's important
ruling (analysis in forthcoming update) that will likely result in
fewer legislative districts in which racial minorities have enough
votes to control the outcome of elections.
# # # # # FULL REPRESENTATION ADVANCES IN
ILLINOIS AND CITIES / UPCOMING CVD EVENTS IN FLORIDA The Illinois legislature has
passed HB 138 to allow counties the option to use full
representation. The bill awaits the governor's signature. See http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/djw0503.htm
Backed effectively by CVD's
general counsel Dan Johnson- Weinberger, the legislation allows
counties to grant cumulative voting rights in multi-member districts
and authorizes citizen initiatives on the structure of county
boards. Illinois has a proud history of cumulative voting in which
it has generated fairer elections and a more positive climate for
bi-partisan approaches to problems. In April, Peoria (IL) held its
fourth city council election with cumulative voting since adopting
it to settle a voting rights challenge. It once again produced fair
representation. For information on its history for state legislative
elections from 1870 to 1980 and the drive to restore it, see: http://www.fairvote.org/vra/illinois.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/illinoisreport.htm
http://www.midwestdemocracy.org
Meanwhile, in Seattle an electoral
laws task force has recommended that three variations of the choice
voting method of full representation be among options debated at
citizen hearings. The city currently has winner-take-all, at-large
elections that under-represent people of color, and a reform
movement led by Washington Citizens for Proportional Representation
and the Washington League of Women Voters has pressed hard for
choice voting. Two commentaries in the April 13 Seattle
Post-Intelligencer back full representation: one by the Center's Rob
Richie and Steven Hill making a general case and one by the League
of Women Voters' Janet Anderson on choice voting: http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/seattle041303.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/seattle041303a.htm
Cincinnati, Ohio
also elects all members of its city council in at-large,
winner-take-all elections. African Americans make up 40% of the
city's population, but have consistently been under-represented
since voters in 1957 repealed choice voting. This
under-representation has sparked a major voting rights case and
ballot measures to adopt choice voting, cumulative voting or
single-member districts. The choice voting measures in 1988 and 1991
earned more than 70% of the African American vote, but fell short
with some 45% of votes overall. Now Cincinnati's mayor's and city
council have established an electoral reform commission to study
whether the city should resort to choice voting or districts. The
commission is expected to make its recommendations by February 2004.
The Center and its field director Rashad Robinson are joining with local
partners in Florida for two events this month: an evening event
on July 11 in Miami, co-sponsored by the Southwest Voter Registration
Education Project and Miami-Dade League of Women Voters and
a July 26 training in Tallahassee with Florida A & M and the UIA-Mexico
project. Details at: htttp://www.fairvote.org/vra Other
new links on full representation include: - CVD's Steven Hill testified to
California's commission on the Help America Vote Act about the case
for full representation http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/hillhava.htm
- Excerpts on full representation
and instant runoff voting from Jamin Raskin's book, "Overruling
Democracy." http://www.fairvote.org/pr/raskinexcerpt.htm
- Quotes on fair election methods
from commentaries in the New Yorker by CVD Board member Hendrik
Hertzberg http://www.fairvote.org/commentary/hertzberg.htm
# # # # # INSTANT
RUNOFF -- NEW SUPPORT FROM SF ETHICS COMMISSION, MARK GREEN,
LWV-CALIF AND FLORIDA NEWSPAPERS / NEW USE BY UTAH REPUBLICANS AND
IN DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL In March 2002 more than 55%
of San Francisco voters supported a charter amendment to replace
traditional two-round runoff elections with a single round instant
runoff voting (IRV) election. Turnover within San Francisco's
Department of Elections has slowed plans to implement the new
system, however, leaving the City in the uncertain position of not
yet having a certified voting method for this November's elections
for mayor and city attorney. But IRV implementation plans are
coming together. The City's election vendor has applied for
certification to adapt current election equipment that would allow
counting ballots at the precinct and notifying voters of any errors,
and the City is appropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars for
grassroots voter education to be carried out by community- based
groups. The San Francisco Ethics Commission endorsed a resolution in
favor of implementing IRV this November, pointing out that
independent campaign expenditures skyrocket in runoffs. There have been strong expressions
of support for IRV in San Francisco, including a recent Asian Week
commentary by five elected officials of color and a San Francisco
Chronicle op-ed. The Center also produces a regular update on the
status of implementing IRV. See: http://www.fairvote.org/sf/ethicsresolution.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/irvbest.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/fulfillthewill.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/sf/index.html
Success in San Francisco
could spur growing support for IRV. Here are a series of advances
for IRV from the past three months: In May, the California State
League of Women Voters adopted a position favoring IRV over both
plurality elections and traditional runoffs for executive offices.
The League of Women Voters in Phoenix endorsed IRV and full
representation, and the Arizona League has begun a study: http://www.fairvote.org/irv/lwvpositions.htm
New York City's former Public
Advocate Mark Green has come out for IRV for New York elections: http://www.fairvote.org/articles/gothamgazette.htm
Authors of the Metropolitan
College of New York's new report "People and Politics in America's
Big Cities" advocate IRV to better accommodate diverse electorates:
http://www.fairvote.org/vra/irvreport03.htm
Utah Republicans and several of
their county arms have enacted bylaws to allow for the use of IRV to
nominate candidates at their conventions. Last year it nominated
congressional candidates by IRV. In June a state senate candidate
was nominated by IRV. http://www.fairvote.org/articles/saltlaketribune.htm
The Center strongly advocates
allowing voters to rank choices in polls and straw polls of all
sorts as more revealing. MoveOn.org allowed voters to rank their top
three choices in the first round of its recent preference poll of
members. NYS Instant Runoff Voting has established an online IRV
preference poll for the 2004 election cycle -- see
http://www.POTUSpoll.com . The Center has written an instructive
commentary about rankings in a straw poll taken at a recent
conference: http://www.fairvote.org/irv/tbainfo.htm
The Massachusetts Democratic Party
on June 7 adopted an Action Agenda with a direct reference to how
instant runoff voting could engage more youth in politics. http://www.fairvote.org/irv/ma.htm
The
Humboldt County (CA) Democratic Central Committee unanimously
adopted a resolution in support of AB 1039, legislation to allow
general law cities and counties in California to use IRV and full
representation. In May the Utne Reader ran a
strong article by Leif Utne about the benefits of instant runoff
voting: http://www.fairvote.org/commentary/utne0503.htm
In June commentators at three
Florida papers supported IRV for primary elections, including an
editorial in the Palm Beach Post (adopting IRV would be "a cause for
celebration") and columns in the St. Petersburg Times and Daytona
Beach News-Journal: http://www.fairvote.org/editorials/pbppreserve.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/articles/understandingirv.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/articles/rewritingfllaws.htm
Arkansas nearly adopted instant
runoffs for some ballots cast by overseas voters. The bill passed
the house, but lost in the senate: http://www.fairvote.org/action/arpress042403.htm
Interest continues to rise on
campus. See an article from the Utah Statesman on the growing
movement to adopt IRV on campuses and a widely published commentary
by the Center's associate John Russell. http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/usu42303.htm
http://www.fairvote.org/commentary/russell041403.htm
A possible November election that
will draw widespread attention is the potential recall of California
governor Gray Davis. If petitioners collect enough signatures, Davis
would face an up-or- down vote on staying in office, while voters
would cast one vote among those seeking to replace him. Polls
currently indicate Davis could lose the recall. Given that plurality
elections will be used instead o fIRV, his replacement may take
office with less under a third of votes cast. You can track the
recall effort at http://www.davisrecall.com/news/rel_details.cfm?prid=PR030528B
To keep up with the latest IRV
news and to read archived messages, join the well-moderated national
IRV listserv. http://www.fairvote.org/irv/subscribe.htm
# # # # # HELP AMERICA
VOTE: STATE COMMITEES BOOST FAIR ELECTION SYSTEMS AMIDST ADVANCES,
SETBACKS Adopted in 2002, the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
was designed to address some of the worst election administration
problems exposed by the controversial 2000 presidential elections.
HAVA's impact will be felt by many voters by 2004 and by all voters
by 2006, when several changes are required. Most states have
established committees to develop state plans to set new standards
for equipment, voter registration and other aspects of running
elections. These committees are making critically important
decisions, but many have allowed little real public involvement,
while the federal government is moving slowly to allocate funds.
Some states also are rushing toward purchasing new touchscreen
voting equipment. Such equipment is much better for voters,
particularly language minorities and people with disabilities, but
most current models do not support fair election voting methods nor
have such important features as establishing a voter-verifiable
paper trail. To track the issue, we suggest:
visiting the websites of electionline.org and of Demos, which also
includes a ground-breaking new study on voter fraud, at http://www.demos-usa.org and
reading an article by Demos' president Miles Rapoport. http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/prospect050103.htm
We have a particular interest in
having states take the cost-free step of requiring new voting
equipment to be ready to run instant runoff and cumulative voting
elections. We are encouraged by preliminary recommendations of
support for versions of this standard in three state plans --
California, New Jersey and Vermont - and progress in other states
like New York. To find out what you can do in your state and to read
a sample commentary in favor of this standard, see http://www.fairvote.org/administration
http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/detroitcomment.htm
# # # # # FAIR
ELECTION RUNDOWN: SPANNING THE GLOBE We will address recent
international developments more fully in the future, but below are a
series of informative links: Author and Newsweek editor Fareed
Zakaria has advocated that full representation be used in Iraq, not
winner-take-all. A Century Foundation group of experts also
recommends no winner-take-all: http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/zakaria042103.htm
http://www.tcf.org/Publications/iraq_report.pdf
Advances for full representation
in Canada: Fair Vote Canada tracks and supports moves by current
governments in provinces like British Columbia, Quebec and New
Brunswick toward adopting full representation. British Columbia will
convene a citizens' assembly on voting system reform in anticipation
of placing a measure on the ballot, while all three major parties in
Quebec support moving to full representation. http://www.fairvotecanada.org
Choice voting to be widely used in
New Zealand in 2004: In 2004, all voters in New Zealand can
participate in elections to their Health Board using choice voting.
Voters in three cities have adopted choice voting for city council
races, including the capital of Wellington. Ten local councils will
use choice voting next year. Advances for full representation
in the United Kingdom: In May, Scotland and Wales for the second
time elected their regional governments through the mixed member
form of full representation. The Wales elections resulted in women
winning half of the seats -- the first state or federal government
to ever to be at least half women. The Scottish elections resulted
in the new government pledging to adopt choice voting for all city
elections in 2007 -- a major change in cities now often dominated by
only one party. The government may require parties to field
gender-balanced candidate slates. Also, former Labour Party leader
Roy Hattersley has reversed past opposition to full representation
and former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has stepped up his calls for
full representation. See: http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk
http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/guardianjune2.htm
www.fairvote.org/op_eds/hillscotwales.htm
Papua New Guinea to use
IRV: Papua New Guinea several decades ago abandoned the instant
runoff voting method of neighboring Australia in favor of U.S.-style
plurality. Now it has decided to return to IRV, starting with its
next elections. Argentina's president needs runoff to win: Former
Argentinian president Carlos Menem eked out a plurality win in the
first round of voting in Argentina's presidential race, but decided
to withdraw rather than face a certain defeat in a runoff round of
voting against Nestor Kirchner. Kirchner, who has started his
presidency with great vigor, led Menem by a two-to-one margin in the
runoff election polls, but would have been defeated under U.S.-style
plurality election rules. Tracking elections around the
world: Three good websites on voter turnout, election administration
and election results are: http://www.idea.int
http://www.globalelections.org
http://www.ifes.org
Democrats' primary schedule takes
shape: The Center has posted the current schedule for Democratic
presidential primaries: http://www.fairvote.org/turnout/dem_sched04.htm
For a wide-ranging set of links on
elections and reform groups, see http://www.fairvote.org/links
# # # # # A REQUEST: HELP FUND CVD
WITH YOUR VOTE! We are honored to be one of the
fifty organizations selected by Working Assets for support in 2003.
If you are a customer of any Working Assets service, you can vote to
allocate funds to the Center. If you are not a customer, you can
sign up for long distance, cell phone or credit card services or by
making even a single purchase on the ShopForChange website. You can
then choose to allocate your vote equally among all 50 groups, or
you can assign your vote to specific groups. These votes result in a
wide ranging of giving, from a low of about $35,000 in 2002 to a
high of some $150,000. For information, please see: http://www.fairvote.org/op_eds/workingassets.htm
# # # # #
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The Center for Voting and
Democracy is a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. It
is headed by former Congressman and presidential candidate John B.
Anderson. We are devoted to increasing public understanding of
American politics and how to reform its rules to provide better
choices and fairer representation. Our website (www.fairvote.org) has information
on voting methods, redistricting and voter turnout. As we rely
heavily on individual donations, please consider a contribution by
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Thank you, and have a wonderful
Independence Day.
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