The National Popular Vote plan has now passed 21 state legislative chambers – most recently both chambers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Meanwhile, civic support keeps growing, with delegates at the NAACP convention in July voting to endorse the proposal. With four states having adopted the plan, expect significant progress in 2009 , with greater urgency for legislatures to take action in order for enough states to pass it to establish a national popular vote based on voter equality in 2012.Working with National Popular Vote and allies like Common Cause, FairVote plays a central role in this effort with research, education and advocacy. FairVote Rhode Island worked tireless in outreach to legislators and newspaper commentary. FairVote North Carolina’s Torrey Dixon sparked the NAACP resolution, including presenting the case on the floor of the convention. FairVote director Rob Richie was a panelist at a recent Netroots Nation panel and participated in the exhibit booth at the annual National Conference of State Legislatures convention. Fellow Laura Kirshner regularly publishes commentary and is overseeing a new round of research. Stay tuned!
NEW: Lincoln Chafee & FairVote's Ari Savitzky co-author Providence Journal commentary
Press release by FairVote RI’s Ari Savitzky
FairVote commentary in Woonsocket Call, Detroit Free Press and Sharon Advocate
NAACP Resolution to support National Popular Vote
Netroots Nation page on National Popular Vote panel
Poll showing 79% favor a popular vote for president
National Popular Vote
On June 6, Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) introduced S. 3100, a bill that would encourage advance voter registration for sixteen year olds, and automatic re-registration of voters who changed their residence. S. 3100 would create a grant program to provide the States with the funds needed to implement pre-registration for sixteen year olds, so ensuring that they would be on the voter rolls when they turn eighteen. Pre-registration, combined with automatic re-registration, would be a significant step towards FairVote's goal of universal voter registration. The bill also makes provision for absentee voting, mail-in voting, and vote verification through paper trails and manual audits. 
It was a good week for FairVote in the states. On May 27, Colorado
governor Bill Ritter signed HB 1378, a bill to allow all Colorado
municipalities and special districts to use instant runoff voting and
choice voting; FairVote's Rob Richie testied for two hours to the task
force that recommended the bill last year. In Illinois, the legislature
sent to the governor SF 439, a bill to allow municipalities to use IRV
ballots to improve voting rights for overseas voters like those serving
in the military.
The National Popular Vote plan holds every promise to be in place for presidential elections in 2012. On May 1st, Hawaii became the fourth state to adopt the plan, with the legislature easily overriding a gubernatorial veto by a combined vote of 56-7. Four states with a total of 50 electoral votes have passed the proposal -- about one-fifth of the way toward implementation.
