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 ]

San Francisco's Third IRV Election a Success

Exit Poll of Asian American Voters Shows Strong Support

San Francisco's third city-wide round of elections under instant runoff voting were a success. Multiple instant runoffs yielded majority winners in two hotly contested District Supervisor races. Exit polls in one District showed a high percentage of voters cast multiple rankings, with low voter error.

66% of Asian-American voters in District 4 found IRV "helpful," partly because it guaranteed that majority-Asian American district could elect a candidate of choice. The support of Asian American voters was divided among four Asian American candidates in the first round of counting. It nearly was the first IRV election in San Francsico where the first-choice leader did not win in the end; a non-Asian candidate finished a very close second in the first choice count. Such reversals don't happen very often, but when they do, it means a plurality winner would have triumphed over a fractured majority without IRV.

[Article on the District 4 race]
[Candidates accept instant runoff results in District 4]
[More on instant runoff voting]
[More on IRV in San Francisco, including the exit poll]

Editorial Sweep for IRV Campaigns

Each of Four Initiatives Goes To Voters With Major Endorsement

The November campaigns for instant runoff voting won another round of high-profile endorsements this week. Now, with the Oakland Tribune endorsing Measure O in that city, every single ballot initiative will go to voters on November 7 with the backing of at least one major regional paper.

Moreover the campaigns have generated three superb flash animations, all available on YouTube.com.

Minneapolis (MN): Star-Tribune, Minnesota Daily
Oakland (CA): Oakland Tribune, Ming Pao Daily
Davis (CA): Sacramento Bee, California Aggie
Pierce Co. (WA): Tacoma News Tribune, Peninsula Gateway (NEW)

[ 2006 IRV Hot Spots ]
[ IRV Flash animations from FairVote, Pierce, Minneapolis ]