By Pete Martineau
Published June 23rd 2004 in The Sacramento Bee
Yes, dump the Electoral College, but also dump the way we vote for Congress, the single member district, winner-take-all system.
Congress is much more important than the president. He introduces or votes on no bills, which create out laws that define our culture. He holds no national discussions (hearings) on America's problems and needs, and then legislates solutions. Only the Congress decides on making war.
If you're a Republican in a Democratic, or a Democrat in a Republican district, or an independent or a Green in either, your vote can't get your views elected. That is the main reason why U.S. turnout is the lowest among the 21 developed democracies. Our legislators are usually elected by about only 25 percent of eligible voters.
Almost all democratic nations use multi-member districts and proportional voting to attain full and fair representation. For instance, in a 10-member district, if Republicans and Democrats each got 40 percent of the vote, each would get four seats; if Greens and Libertarians each got 10 percent, each would get one seat. Majority views still rule, and other voices get seats.
Congress is much more important than the president. He introduces or votes on no bills, which create out laws that define our culture. He holds no national discussions (hearings) on America's problems and needs, and then legislates solutions. Only the Congress decides on making war.
If you're a Republican in a Democratic, or a Democrat in a Republican district, or an independent or a Green in either, your vote can't get your views elected. That is the main reason why U.S. turnout is the lowest among the 21 developed democracies. Our legislators are usually elected by about only 25 percent of eligible voters.
Almost all democratic nations use multi-member districts and proportional voting to attain full and fair representation. For instance, in a 10-member district, if Republicans and Democrats each got 40 percent of the vote, each would get four seats; if Greens and Libertarians each got 10 percent, each would get one seat. Majority views still rule, and other voices get seats.
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.