Educational Tools and Materials
One of the best ways to convince people of the benefits of choice voting is through mock elections. See our
rules for how to conduct choice-voting hand counts quickly and simply.



FairVote has produced a variety of downloadable tools and materials which can be used to teach about full representation and to organize citizens to bring about reform.

  • New: Choice Voting Powerpoint Explains the advantages and mechanics of choice voting.  This powerpoint was created for a commission examining electoral reform in Greenbelt, MD. (.ppt 1.18 MB)
  • Proportional Voting Powerpoint Explains the problems with a winner-take-all system, the advantages of full representation and the mechanics of voting systems currently in use in America. (.ppt 507 KB)
  • Choice Voting (Single Transferable Vote) Powerpoint Explains the mechanics and benefits of choice voting. This was produced for a client of FairVote's Election Services Group. (.ppt 507 KB)
  • How Effective is Your Election System? A Survey for communities which believe they might have a Voting Rights Act Case helping them to assess whether or not a full representation system would be a solution to their problems. (.pdf 37.7 KB)
  • Full Representation Election Systems Manual A joint project of the Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy and FairVote-the Center for Voting and Democracy. A comprehensive explanation of full representation systems with specific reference to the Voting Rights Act. (.rtf 5.1 MB)
  • Sample Testimony for City Charter Commissions Information for commissions set up to review city charters explaining full representation systems and their effect on who wins representation. (.pdf 588 KB)

Downloadable Brochures:
  • Let's Have Pizza for Dinner Explaination of the basic principle of full representation (.pdf 268 KB)
  • Choice Voting Information about the voting and counting procedures for choice voting, and where it is used in the United States (.pdf 46.4 KB)
  • Cumulative Voting at work in Texas How cumulative voting has benefited communities of color in Texas (.pdf 108 KB)
  • Full and Fair Representation in Alabama Winning a fair share of power with cumulative and limited voting (.pdf 116 KB)
  • The One Vote System: North Carolina's Model for Communities Information on limited voting in North Carolina (.pdf 94.4 KB)
  • Youth and Student Political Empowerment Advice for young people interested in full representation systems (.pdf 151 KB)



 
Recent Articles
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.