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The Way Democracy Will Be: The Next Generation of State Electoral Reform Rob Richie Executive Director, FairVote www.fairvote.org
The Way Democracy Will Be: The Next Generation of State
Electoral Reform
Rob Richie
Executive Director, FairVote
www.fairvote.org
FairVote
Researches and develops innovative reform policies
Board chairman is John B. Anderson
Coalition member in Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and Network on State Election Reform
Participant in National Popular Vote coalition
Focus of Today’s Presentation
Voter registration and voter education
• Uniform advance voter registration
• Automatic voter registration
• Voting mechanics modules in schools
Instant runoff voting ballots
• Military voters in SC, AS, LA
• NC model for replacing runoffs
• VT legislation to replace plurality
Voter Registration Problems
Low voter registration rates Roughly 7 in 10 eligible voters Barely half of eligible voters under 25
Impact of Low Voter Registration Rates Lowers voter turnout in some elections Undercuts administration of elections
Uniform Voter Registration Age
Establish age of 16 for advance voter registration
No effect on voting age and no fiscal impact
Registration becomes active when citizen reaches voting age and receive “welcome” packet
Hawaii’s model / Advances in RI, MD
Complementary Proposals
Voter education / mechanics programs in schools
Hiring youth as pollworkers / technical aides
Automatic voter registration in schools & at DMV
State-financed voter guides
State-Financed Voter Guides
Tested in some form in 14 states
Provide information on down-ballot candidate choices, ballot measures and voting information
Very helpful to voters with mail ballots
Booklet can include sample ballots that then are brought to the polls
Universal/Automatic Registration
International norm, but U.S. lacks obvious pre-existing list of eligible voters
Full and accurate rolls increase access, reduce opportunity of fraud and help administrators
Ideas states could explore:• Automatic registration of citizens when obtaining
driver’s license (opt-out allowed)• Requirement to register as with auto insurance or
new health care model in Massachusetts
Instant Runoff Voting Ballots
What is an instant runoff ballot
Its use for overseas/military voters
Comparison with runoff elections
Comparison with plurality voting
What Is Instant Runoff Voting
A ranked choice ballot: Voters rank 1, 2, 3
Requires a majority to elect a candidate (typically)
Eliminate weak candidates. Allocate those voters’ ballots to next choices until a majority winner
Has earned support of John McCain, Barack Obama, several state League of Women Voters
Success on the Ballot and In City Councils and Legislatures
• Record on City Ballots, 2004-2006: 8 wins, 0 losses Average Victory Share : 68%
• Used in San Francisco (CA), Burlington (VT) and Takoma Park (MD). Soon in Minneapolis (MN), Pierce County (WA), Berkeley & Oakland (CA)
• North Carolina’s Model: Pilots in up to 10 cities in 2007, 10 counties in 2008, possibly statewide in 2010
• Overseas Voters: Arkansas, So. Carolina, Louisiana
How IRV Works
Declare a winner
No majority
Eliminate lowest candidate
Retally Ballots
Is there a majority winner?
Yes
No
Tally All Ballots
Voters Vote Their Preferences
IRV Ballots
The voter is presented with a list of all candidates and has option to rank them
The voter may choose to give just a first preference instead of ranking choices.
IRV in Practice: San Francisco
2004 Election: Seven city council races
• Majority winners identified despite big fields
• Studies show all racial and ethnic groups handle IRV effectively – very low error rates
• Exit polls show only 14% want old runoffs
2005 Election: Three citywide offices
• Valid ballots in most contested race: 99.6%
• Turnout 3 times higher than in old runoffs
IRV in Practice: Burlington
• 2006 Mayoral Election
• Five candidates in open seat election
• First place finisher wins 39% of first choices, then wins in instant runoff count
• Valid ballots: 99.9%.
• Lowest-income ward:- Of 1200 ballots, only 2 invalid. - 93% ranked one of final 2
candidates
• IRV preferred to runoffs by 4 to 1 in exit poll
IRV Ballots and Military Voters
Tested solution to protect overseas voters in runoffs in Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina
Addresses problem of short turnaround time between first round and second round.
Voter receives an IRV ballot or a regular ballot with an IRV ballot.
IRV ballot is counted in the runoff toward the runoff candidate ranked highest
IRV Ballots and Runoffs
Instant runoff voting can determine a majority winner in one election. IRV• saves money• eliminates hassle for voters and administrators• maximizes voter turnout in decisive election• Reduces campaign finance demands• Increases chances of a compromise candidate
IRV Ballots and Plurality Voting
Protects majority rule when more than two candidates seek a one-winner office• Vacancies• Primary elections for a safe seat
Reduces the problem of “spoilers” drawing support from one major candidate
May reduce mud-slinging campaigns
Other Research Priorities
Citizens assemblies: Canadian model
Multi-seat districts and advanced voting methods to include in redistricting reform debates: Illinois model
Presidential primary reform: American Plan
Democracy SOS Proposal
Proposal for web resource to give public information about Secretary of States / State election directors
What they do and their policy views
What information resources are available
Connection to FairVote belief that quality election administration tied to transparency and accountability
