San Francisco Conference

The Center for Voting and Democracy and V.O.T.E. Action Committee invite you to attend:

Empowering the Voter:
A Conference on Proportional Representation,
Reapportionment and Electoral Reform

WHERE:	California State Building, 505 Van Ness Ave (at McAllister), San Francisco
WHEN:	September 12-13, 1998, Saturday and Sunday
COST:	$30 for full weekend / $20 for one day (lunch included). After 9/1/98: $40 and $25 respectively / Scholarships for low-income

"We aim to go beyond discussing problems and solutions. We will develop a plan of action to do something about our unfair voting system and to bring about truly representative democracy." - John B. Anderson, CVD President

This national conference will bring together electoral reformers, voting rights scholars, minor party activists, students, academics and concerned citizens. The conference seeks to assist attendees: learn about proportional representation and other voting systems; examine shortcomings of current electoral practices (particularly redistricting); and strategize on local and regional campaigns for reform.

To register, makes checks payable to:
Center for Voting and Democracy
PO Box 22411
San Francisco, CA 94122-2411

For more information, contact (415) 665-5044

Saturday, Sept.12

8:30 arrival, coffee and donuts

9 am (sharp) - 9:15 am Welcome and introduction of keynote speaker

9:15-10:15 Keynote address

10:20 to noon, Plenary session 1: A Discussion on Race, Reapportionment and Representation

Introduction: John B. Anderson (president, Center for Voting and Democracy) and John Maguire (past president, Claremont Graduate University).
Moderators: Rob Richie and Steven Hill, Center for Voting and Democracy
Panelists: Connie Rice (Advancement Project, formerly NAACP Legal Defense), Bruce Cain (Institute of Governmental Studies, Univ. of CA-Berkeley), Denise Hulett (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund), Prof. Pam Karlan (Stanford Law School), Antonio Gonzalez (president, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project), Roy Ulrich (California Common Cause)
Floor testimonials (3 minutes each): Sheila Jordan (former city councilor, Oakland) , Prof. Rich Deleon (chair of Pol. Sci. Dept., San Francisco State Univ.), Bonnie Tang (Asian Pacific American Legal Services )

Noon to 1 p.m. Lunch (catered in the cafeteria)

Educational workshops and panels

1 p.m. to 2:15 Session One Educational workshops and panels (four concurrent panels / workshops)

Workshop: "ABCs of voting system reform." Educational slide show given by the Center for Voting and Democracy's west coast director, Steven Hill. This workshop will cover the basics of PR, the disadvantages of "winner take all" systems, redistricting/reapportionment and its effect on campaign finance reform, different types of PR systems, Instant Runoff Voting, PR for municipal elections, and a simulated PR election. Part of Municipal Government core.
Panel: "Representation of women." moderator: Paula Lee (president, Placerville League of Women Voters, Prof. Wilma Rule (Univ. of Nevada-Reno), Kathy Spillar (national director, Fund for the Feminist Majority), Stacy Karp (president, San Francisco NOW)
Panel: "PR around the world." Prof. Kay Lawson (San Francisco State Univ.), Susan Banducci and Jeff Karp (research fellows, New Zealand Election Study, University of Waikato), Julian West (teacher, Green Party organizer in British Columbia), Matthew Cossolotto (Vice President, Center for Voting and Democracy)
Panel: "The Courts and Reform." moderator: David Dyssegaard Kallick (senior fellow, Preamble Center), John Bonifaz (exec. dir., National Voting Rights Institute), Deborah Goldberg (Brennan Center, NYU Law School), Denise Hulett (MALDEF), Molly Munger (Advancement Project), Paul Lhevine (National Civic League)

2:15 to 2:30 break

2:30 to 3:45 Session Two, Educational workshops and panels (five concurrent panels / workshops)

Workshop/panel: "How do you count those transferable ballots, anyway?" Presentation on transferable ballots, Instant Runoff Voting, issues of voting machines, converting municipal elections to choice voting, cumulative voting. Jim Lindsay (Jerel Software), Deborah Seiler (Sequoia Pacific Systems), Prof. Rich Deleon (San Francisco State), Alan Sembera (New Mexicans for Instant Runoff Voting), Moderator: Matthew Cossolotto (Center for Voting and Democracy, Ballot Services USA). Part of Municipal Government core.
Panel: "PR and campaign finance reform: complementary reforms?" Moderator: Derek Cressman (U.S. PIRG), Craig MacDonald (Texans for Public Justice), Zach Pollett (national political director, ACORN), Roy Ulrich (California Common Cause), John Bonifaz (National Voting Rights Institute)
Panel: "Hitler, Coalitions and Complexity: how does PR affect policy?" Moderator: Prof. Kay Lawson (San Francisco State), Sol Erdman (Democracy 2000), Steven Hill (west coast director, Center for Voting and Democracy), David Dyssegaard Kallick (senior fellow, Preamble Center)
Panel: "The Voting Rights Act and Representation of Minorities." Moderator: Denise Hulett (MALDEF), Prof. Pam Karlan (Stanford Law School), Joaquin Avila (voting rights attorney), Bonnie Tang (Asian Pacific American Legal Services), Peyton McCrary (Dept. of Justice/Civil Rights Division, Eugene Lang Visiting Professor, Swarthmore College)
Panel: "Media talk about Democracy Reform." Moderator: Hunter Cutting (We Interrupt This Message), Susan Richardson (Austin American-Statesman editorial), Tim Redmond (editor, San Francisco Bay Guardian), Micah Sifry (former editor, The Nation), Kim Alexander (president, California Voter Foundation)

3:45 to 4:00 break

4:15 to 5:15 Session Three, Educational workshops and panels (four concurrent panels / workshops)

Panel: "Voter participation: obstacles and milestones." Antonio Gonzalez (Southwest Voter), Robert Rubin (Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights), Glenn Magpantay (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund)
Panel: "Why California Cities are looking at PR." Moderator: Prof. Rich Deleon (San Francisco State University), Gwenn Craig (chair, Elections Task Force), Molly Munger (Advancement Project), Michael Feinstein (city councilor, Santa Monica, Green Party organizer), Sheila Jordan (former city councilor, Oakland). Part of Municipal Government core.
Panel: "Foundations and Political Reform." Moderator: Rob Richie (exec. dir., Center for Voting and Democracy), Steve Cobble (exec. dir., Arca Foundation), Steve Cheifetz (Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust), Peter Teague (Tides Foundation)
Panel: "Steps toward PR: IRV and Illinois' three-seat districts." Tabitha Hall (New Mexicans for Instant Runoff Voting), Dan Johnson-Weinberger (Illinois Citizens for Proportional Representation), John Anderson (president, Center for Voting and Democracy, 1980 presidential candidate), Fillard Rhyne (Oregonians for Instant Runoff Voting)

5:15 to 5:45 Plenary session�Award Ceremony, "Champion of Democracy" award

Sunday, Sept.13

8:30 arrival, coffee and donuts
Activist workshops and panels

9:00 (sharp) - 10:45 am, Plenary panel 2. "2020 Vision: Real Democracy and How to Get There"

Moderator: David Dyssegaard Kallick (senior fellow, Preamble Center). Panelists: Zach Pollett (national political director, ACORN), Carol Miller (New Mexico Green Party congressional candidate), Doug Phelps (executive director, U.S. PIRG)

Floor testimonials: To be announced

11:00-12:15 pm Session One of activist workshops and panels

Workshop: "Speakers training." Steven Hill (Center for Voting and Democracy) and Betty Traynor (San Francisco Electoral Reform Coalition)
Panel: "Organizing state and local chapters" Moderator: Nat Lerner (PR activist from New Zealand), Janet Anderson (Washington Citizens for Proportional Representation), Blair Bobier (Northwest Democracy Institute), Jim Lindsay (Northern California Citizens for Proportional Representation), Dan Johnson-Weinberger (Illinois Citizens for Proportional Representation), Tony Solgard (FairVote-Minnesota)
Panel: "How minor parties can advance reform." Moderator: Mike Feinstein (Santa Monica city council), Carol Miller (New Mexico Green Party congressional candidate), Richard Winger (editor, Ballot Access News), William Redpath (Libertarian Party), Dan Hamburg (California Green Party gubernatorial candidate)
Workshop: "How to conduct Monopoly Politics research and make legislative predictions for your state." Rob Richie (executive director, Center for Voting and Democracy)

12:15-1:15 p.m. Lunch, catered (with opportunity to meet in specific working groups and caucuses.)

1:15 pm-2:30 pm Session Two

Workshop: "Speakers training." Sol Erdman (Democracy 2000) and Jim Lindsay (Northern California Citizens for Proportional Representation)
Panel: "Campaigns for Voting System Reform." Moderator: Tabitha Hall (New Mexicans for Instant Runoff Voting), Peter Camejo (Progressive Assets Management), Casey Peters ( LA campaign for charter reform), Julian West (Green Party of British Columbia), Hunter Cutting (campaign consultant, We Interrupt This Message)
Panel: "Educational Partnerships: Working with Established Organizations." Moderator: Wayne Shepard (Citizens for Proportional Representation-San Francisco), Tony Solgard (FairVote-Minnesota), Steve Chessin (Member, California Democratic Party State Executive Board), Betty Traynor (San Francisco Electoral Reform Coalition)