Lawmakers in Colorado and Minnesota have organized statewide studies of fairer voting systems including instant runoff voting (IRV) and choice voting.

An initiative of State Rep. John Kefalas, the Colorado task force will look at several single- and multi-winner systems. Interest in IRV has burgeoned in the state following concern about minor party "spoiler" candidacies, negative campaigns and the high cost of low-turnout runoff elections.

Initiated by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, the Minnesota Ranked Choice Voting Issues Group first met on June 27 to look at issues surrounding localities' ease of transition to choice voting and IRV. Last November, Minneapolis residents voted overwhelmingly to use both systems for city elections. One goal is to forge a statewide consensus on implementation so that voting equipment needs can be presented to vendors in a united, systematic manner. The group will include lawmakers, election administrators, community leaders and reform advocates.

[ Rocky Mountain News column on IRV to replace CO runoffs ]
[ AP coverage of the CO study group ]
[ Southwest Journal coverage of the MN Issues Group ]

In a landmark June 24 election with instant runoff voting, Harriet Harman became Deputy Leader of the British Labour Party with a 50.4% majority of votes. She beat Alan Johnson, with 49.6%, after a series of instant runoffs in the six-candidate race.

Incoming Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to make Harman chair of the Labour Party. Harman, who in 2001 became Britain's first ever female Solictor General, has been a champion of women's issues and a bridge-builder between different wings of the Labour Party. Brown and top members of the Labour Party are showing interest in IRV to elect the House of Commons and proportional voting to elect the House of Lords.

Called the "alternative vote" in the United Kingdom, instant runoff voting is used by Labour's electoral college, which consists of Members of Parliament, Members of the European Parliament and representatives from organized labor.

[ More on international, public uses of IRV ]
[ BBC coverage ]
[ Guardian coverage ]
[ ePolitix.com on Brown's views on democracy ]
[ Round-by-round results from the Electoral Reform Society ]

Current state law prohibits most jurisdictions from choosing alternative voting systems. Currently only charter cities and counties can use ranked systems. This means that over three-fourths of cities and counties and over half of all California residents are legally prohibited from reforming elections. Most cities use winner-take-all, and most counties have runoff elections. The bill would not force a particular system on any jurisdiction.

Californians for Electoral Reform (CfER) has led the effort to adopt the legislation.

[ Read AB 1294 ]
Legislative action information from Californians for Electoral Reform
[ More on choice voting ]
[ More on instant runoff voting ]