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As creators of the inclusive reform website FixThePrimaries.com, FairVote is pleased to support National Caucus in its call for vigorous and widespread discussion and deliberation about how best to reform the presidential nomination calendar for future elections. There indeed are few more important debates than about how best to promote equality, responsiveness and accountability in elections of our president. Political parties have the power to improve how we nominate presidents, and my experience has been that leaders of both major parties share many goals in common: an interest in more states and voters holding meaningful contests, higher voter participation and full debate within the party of different perspectives. We believe agreement between major party leaders on a better schedule is possible. Perhaps the most obvious first step to take place before 2012 is to agree to delay the timing of contests.
The urgency for making this open call for action pertains to the Republican Party rules, which require changes to be made only at their quadrennial conventions. Since both major parties must largely agree on a common calendar, there will be little opportunity to effect meaningful change after the GOP convention in September.
We urge every citizen, every state government and all political parties to give renewed intense focus to this vital public policy issue that will determine how the next primary will be run. We ask that everyone become informed on history of the process, the various proposals under consideration and to take action by advocating for the plan they support.
We further resolve since this issue is of an ongoing nature and since circumstances invariably change over time, we commit to continuing an open discussion and deliberation process that both incorporates and transcends party and governmental boundaries.
Sincerely,
Rob Richie
Executive Director
As creators of the inclusive reform website FixThePrimaries.com, FairVote is pleased to support National Caucus in its call for vigorous and widespread discussion and deliberation about how best to reform the presidential nomination calendar for future elections. There indeed are few more important debates than about how best to promote equality, responsiveness and accountability in elections of our president. Political parties have the power to improve how we nominate presidents, and my experience has been that leaders of both major parties share many goals in common: an interest in more states and voters holding meaningful contests, higher voter participation and full debate within the party of different perspectives. We believe agreement between major party leaders on a better schedule is possible. Perhaps the most obvious first step to take place before 2012 is to agree to delay the timing of contests.
The urgency for making this open call for action pertains to the Republican Party rules, which require changes to be made only at their quadrennial conventions. Since both major parties must largely agree on a common calendar, there will be little opportunity to effect meaningful change after the GOP convention in September.
We urge every citizen, every state government and all political parties to give renewed intense focus to this vital public policy issue that will determine how the next primary will be run. We ask that everyone become informed on history of the process, the various proposals under consideration and to take action by advocating for the plan they support.
We further resolve since this issue is of an ongoing nature and since circumstances invariably change over time, we commit to continuing an open discussion and deliberation process that both incorporates and transcends party and governmental boundaries.
Sincerely,
Rob Richie
Executive Director
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.