Finding Solutions to Louisiana's
Post-Katrina Election Problems

Ensuring Representation for People of the State a Priority

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana voters and election administrators will face numerous challenges that threaten to undermine the state’s democratic processes. These issues include congressional and state legislative districts of wildly disparate sizes, thousands of displaced voters without stable absentee voting addresses, and FEMA's refusal to share the temporary addresses of hurricane victims with state election administrators.

To address these issues, FairVote calls for the temporary use of multimember districts using proportional voting systems, so that the one-person, one-vote and Voting Rights Act principles can remain intact -- without need for an expensive and ineffective mid-decade redistricting or a new census. Additionally, Louisiana should expand its current use of ranked ballots for overseas voters to include displaced Hurricane Katrina victims, to ensure that these voters are not disenfranchised in the state's runoff elections. At a minimum, FEMA should allow state election officials to mail information to displaced hurricane victims, so that they can fully participate in upcoming elections.

[ Read FairVote's Full Proposal ]

Takoma Park City Council Votes Unanimously to Put IRV on Ballot

Hopes are high for November election

The city council in Takoma Park, Maryland voted unanimously on October 6 to place on the ballot an advisory measure to enact instant runoff voting. If passed in November, IRV would be used for electing the city council as well as the mayor, replacing the current plurality voting method.

Takoma Park would join San Francisco, Burlington, VT, and Ferndale MI as one in a recent nationwide series of victories for IRV. The reform is growing momentum within political parties too, as instant runoff voting was also endorsed recently by the Democratic Party of both Iowa and California.

[ Visit the official Takoma Park for IRV website ]
[ Read Rob Richie's article in the Takoma Voice ]
[ The Gazette covers IRV in Takoma Park ]