Scottish Greens sowing the seeds for 2007 electionsThe 2007 elections will for the first time be fought under a system of proportional representation.
And potential Green candidates are being offered advice and training from Green councillors in England and Ireland.
Mark Sydenham, co-convener of Edinburgh Green Party, said: "Green parties abroad have a great deal of experience of fighting local elections, where they do really well. We will be capitalising on this experience to make sure there are Green Party councillors on the next city council.
"We will be contesting all the city's new multi-member wards come 2007, and based on our results in this year's General Election and the result of the congestion charge referendum, fully expect to see Green councillors elected."
Lothians Green MSP Robin Harper added: "The new fairer voting system for local councils means that we will see Green councillors joining Green MSPs to work for less waste and pollution and fair shares for all."
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.