Voters approve Measure L


By E. Ashley Wright
Published November 14th 2006 in The California Aggie

The Nov. 7 election resulted in a number of successful ballot initiatives within the city of Davis, including Measure L, the choice voting advisory measure.

The initiative, approved for the ballot at the Davis City Council's July 11 meeting, was meant to advise the council of residents' sentiments toward transitioning into a choice voting system for future City Council elections.

Although the measure is not binding, the council will now consider a possible transition to the system, currently used in cities and countries worldwide, as well as in UC Davis ASUCD elections.

Choice voting asks that voters rate candidates based on preference; if a preferred candidate does not win, the votes for that candidate will be transferred to the voter's next choice.

Proponents argue that the system provides options for voters and enables those who are often left misrepresented in a plurality voting system, while opponents posit that voters might be confused with the ballot.

Any decision regarding a change to a choice voting system for City Council elections will be forwarded to Davis voters for approval in 2008.
IRV Soars in Twin Cities, FairVote Corrects the Pundits on Meaning of Election Night '09
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers.  Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections;  the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.

And as pundits try to make hay out of the national implications of Tuesday’s gubernatorial elections, Rob Richie in the Huffington Post concludes that the gubernatorial elections have little bearing on federal elections.

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