The Shrinking Battleground

New FairVote Report Rips Two-Tier Democracy in Presidential Elections

FairVote’s new report, The Shrinking Battleground: The 2008 Presidential Elections and Beyond, provides a devastating critique of the Electoral College and its impact on American politics. Fewer and fewer Americans play a meaningful role in electing their president, with a damaging impact on voter turnout, racial fairness and political equality.

FairVote released the report at the National Press Club last Thursday, July 28. Speakers at the press conference included FairVote’s executive director Rob Richie, 1980 independent presidential candidate John B. Anderson and Hendrik Hertzberg, writer for The New Yorker and chief White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter in 1980.

[Read key findings]
[Download the report .pdf 301 KB]

FairVote's First Annual 'Celebration' for the Father of Gerrymandering

On July 20, 2005, Rep. John Tanner and fellow sponsors of the Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act met at the Capitol to "gerrymander" a cake in honor the birthday of Elbridge Gerry. Gerry, former Massachusetts Governor and 5th Vice President of the United States, is credited as the source of the term "gerrymandering."

The bill has received bipartisan support from more than thirty House Members. Speakers at FairVote's event included Tennesse's Tanner (D), Jim Cooper (D), and Zach Wamp (R), as well as Oregon's Earl Blumenauer (D), Florida's Allen Boyd (D), California's Jim Costa (D), Louisiana's Charlie Melancon (D), Ed Davis of Common Cause and FairVote's John Anderson and Rob Richie.

[ See pictures from the event ]
[ Read FairVote's Press Release ]
[ More on the Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act ]