Get Involved

Are you ready to take the next step and become an active supporter of full representation and instant runoff voting? That's great. We need your help now! Below are a number of ways you can get involved. Also check out our activism page, which has details on more specific actions you can take.

Join The Center for Voting and Democracy  As a member, you will receive a newsletter, as well as regular updates about the rapidly growing voting system movement in the United States.  Send your tax-deductible contribution of at least $15 (we depend on the financial investment of advocates for electoral reform) or give online:

Sign up for our e-newsletter  The Center for Voting and Democracy sends a monthly e-mail newsletter . The monthly updates contain the latest news in the world of voting systems and electoral reform. To get the monthly e-mail update, simply drop us a note through our comments form and check the "join e-mail list" box.

Subscribe to the Instant Runoff Initiative: This moderated listserve has no more than two postings per day. Consider signing onto a local listserve.

Support state and federal legislation that implements, studies or allows full representation (also called "proportional representation") or instant runoff voting (IRV).  In the 2003-2004 cycle, at least twenty states have considered IRV legislation. There is also federal legislation, including HR 415, the Congress 2006 Commission Act, to create a commission to analyze both the size of the House and alternative voting methods. 

Check out our state-by-state guide to electoral reform.

Become a Democracy Activist -- Join or Create a Local Organization   Get involved with a voting system reform group in your state, and check out our activism page, with more specific ways you can get involved in the reform movement. Please send new ideas, questions or thoughts to [email protected].

Lobby your Student Government Many schools around the country have adopted full representation systems to elect their student leaders. We have developed a student activist kit to assist students' efforts. You can our office at [email protected] for assistance with choosing and implementing the right system for your school.

Spread the word  Tell your friends about the Center and have them check out our web site. Word of mouth is the most powerful political tool ever invented--be sure to use it! 

Spread the brochures  download materials right onto your computer.

Make sure that all new voting equipment purchased in your county or state is compatible with ballots that rank the candidates  After the Florida fiasco, there's a widespread consensus that we need to invest in better voting equipment. This can be a huge opportunity for the electoral reform movement, as punch cards and bad optical scanners have been the biggest hurdle towards implementing instant runoff voting and PR in many places. Now let's make sure that we do buy better voting equipment and that any new equipment that is purchased is compatible with ranked ballots, so if your state or county is interested in instant runoff voting in a few years, we've already got the right equipment. Check out our citizen's guide to voting equipment for more details and call your local election authority.