New Hanover has five County Commissioners, elected for four year terms at staggered two year intervals, and seven members of the School Board, also elected for four year terms at staggered intervals. No African Americans sit on either body, although at 15% of the population, they arguably deserve a representative at county level, and definitely one on the school board. New Hanover County School Board was censured in 2003 for failing minority students. The school district has the second highest achievement gap between black and white students in the region. Cities and towns within New Hanover County elect councilmen and alderman at large, again at staggered intervals. The only city with a significant minority population, Wilmington, with 22% of its population African American ñ uses this system to elect five Council Members and a Mayor. Currently, there is only one African American Council Member.  

October 19th 2009
A better election system
Lowell Sun

Election expert Doug Amy explains how choice voting can "inject new blood" into the elections of Lowell (MA), and give voters a greater incentive to participate.

October 16th 2009
Haven't Detroit voters spoken enough?
Livingston Daily

In Detroit, there have been three mayors in the past two years and the current one has come under scrutiny. Perhaps a system like instant runoff voting will help bring political stability to motor city.

August 21st 2009
Black candidate for Euclid school board to test new voting system
Cleveland Plain Dealer

Limited voting, a form of proportional voting, will be used in Euclid (OH), in the hopes of allowing better representation of minorities.

July 2nd 2009
Reforming Albany
New York Times

FairVote's Rob Richie responds in a letter to the editor making the case for proportional voting systems to bring substantive reform to New York's legislature.