League of Women Voters of Vermont Supports Proportional Voting

In May of 2008, the League of Women Voters of Vermont updated its position on redistricting and voting methods to include support for proportional voting methods: "The League of Women Voters of Vermont supports the principle of legislative districts using alternative voting methods, such as proportional representation in multi-seat districts, as a way of achieving both competitive elections and fair representation of both majorities and minorities within a district."

The LWV of VT joins the Arizona and South Carolina chapters in acknowleding the role that proportional voting systems can play at solving some of the challenging issues of fair representation facing the United States.

[Read LWV State Positions Supporting Proportional Voting]

Colorado legislature passes bill to advance IRV and choice voting

The Colorado legislature on May 6th gave final passage to HB 1378, a bill to allow all Colorado municipalities and special districts to use instant runoff voting and choice voting. A model for other states, the bill was drafted as a result of recommendations from a legislature-initiated task force on voting methods last year that reviewed a wide array of voting methods, including alternative single-winner methods like approval voting and range voting.

Kudos to Colorado advocates such as Common Cause's Elena Nunez, FairVote Colorado's Rick Van Wie, state representative John Kefalas and senate majority leader Ken Gordon. Two Colorado localities -- Basalt and Aspen -- already have adopted instant runoff voting for mayoral elections.

[Colorado Voter Choice Task Force Report]
[Bill history for HB 1378]
[Commentary in favor of instant runoff voting in Denver]
[Commentary in favor of instant runoff voting in Aspen]