Overwhelming Victory for Ranked Ballots in Springfield

Legislation Authorizing IRV for Overseas Voters Also Passes Committee in California

On April 17th 2007, voters in Springfield, IL, approved with 91% of the vote a referendum implementing ranked ballots for overseas absentee voters in local elections. This change ensures men and women in uniform will not be disenfranchised in local elections due to the short time between primary and general elections.

The California Assembly Elections Committee also explored the ranked ballot solution to ensure overseas voters have their votes counted in runoff elections. It approved AB 1662, which authorizes ranked ballots for overseas voters, and AB 1294, which gives local governments the option of using IRV for local elections.

[ Why IRV is needed for overseas absentee voters ]
[ More about the Springfield campaign at www.IncludeEveryVoter.org ]

FairVote Issues Winning in Maryland

The Free State Leads the Way with New Ideas

Due to the efforts of former FairVote board member and first-term Senator Jamie Raskin as well as FairVote Action's Ryan O'Donnell, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley signed the National Popular Vote bill into law, making the Free State the first to join an interstate compact to elect the president by popular vote.

The Governor also signed a FairVote-backed bill to establish Constitution Day in Maryland to teach all students about civic participation, with a voter registration component. This bill is a great first step toward FairVote�s goal of the government sharing the responsibility of voter registration with its citizens and educating students about voting before graduation.

[ Read article in The Nation ]
[ Read story in The Washington Post ]