Federal Court of Appeals Upholds Cumulative Voting

Fair Representation in Chilton County, Alabama Continues

With a long track record of providing fair representation to communities of color, proportional voting systems have been used to settle dozens of Voting Rights Act lawsuits. Chilton County, Alabama has long been hailed as a textbook example of cumulative voting's success -- where the African American community, long shut out of power, finally won consistent victories on the County Commission.

A recent legal challenge put in doubt the future of Chilton County's cumulative voting system, but a federal appellate court recently upheld the system. This groundbreaking decision solidifies the future of proportional voting systems in Voting Rights Act settlements.

[Article on Recent Cumulative Voting Decision]
[Read about cumulative voting in Chilton County]
[Time Magazine article on Cumulative Voting]
[Alabama Cumulative Voting Info 2004]

California Assembly Approves Local Voting System Options

Bill Would Let Municipalities Use IRV and Choice Voting

The California Assembly on June 6 passed a bill 47-31 allowing municipalities with home rule charters to use instant runoff and choice voting for local elections. The bill, AB 1294, has moved on to the state Senate for consideration. The bill was referred to the Senate Elections Committee, and a hearing is now scheduled for July 10.

Current state law prohibits most jurisdictions from choosing alternative voting systems. Currently only charter cities and counties can use ranked systems. This means that over three-fourths of cities and counties and over half of all California residents are legally prohibited from reforming elections. Most cities use winner-take-all, and most counties have runoff elections. The bill would not force a particular system on any jurisdiction.

Californians for Electoral Reform (CfER) has led the effort to adopt the legislation.

[ Read AB 1294 ]
Legislative action information from Californians for Electoral Reform
[ More on choice voting ]
[ More on instant runoff voting ]

Ireland Holds Choice Voting Elections

Results Include Significant Seat Turnover, Multi-party Representation

On May 24, 2007 Ireland used choice voting to elect its D�il or parliament. The system effectively promoted a great deal of multi-party representation within each district while also allowing a great deal of turnover in the membership of the D�il.

Of 146 incumbent members running, just over 20% lost their bids, versus normally about 2% in U.S. House races. In addition to the high turnover in the Irish elections, 22.9% of the total membership of the D�il will be representing their constituencies for the first time. Choice voting moreover ensured the vast majority of voters elected candidates of choice. With winner-take-all elections, only one party represents each district.

Choice voting is a proportional voting system that effectively eliminates the spoiler problems common to winner-take-all voting systems. It also encourages cooperation among candidates as well as cooperation between minority groups and parties.

[ More information about choice voting ]
[ More information on the results of the 2007 Irish general election ]