Note: This article is part four in a miniseries about how voters respond to alternative, and particularly proportional, voting systems. You can read the previous articles in this series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Amarillo, Texas, is as quintessentially American as you’re likely to find. The panhandle city of nearly a quarter-million is … Read more
BC Attorney General David Eby has recommended to cabinet that voters see a two-part question about proportional representation on their ballot this October or November. First, the referendum will ask voters whether they want to switch to proportional representation. Then, voters will be able to rank three possible forms of proportional representation in order of … Read more
In northern Cascadia, BC voters will soon vote on a referendum to use Proportional Representation to help ensure Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) better reflect the will of the voters. BC’s current electoral method—single-winner ridings with first-past-the-post ballots—has been distorting the will of the voters for decades. BC’s election history highlights the well-known flaws … Read more
This is part three in a four article series about how voters respond to ranked ballots and proportional voting systems. You can read the other articles in this series here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 4. This article was also updated and revised from an earlier version for clarity. Would switching from a familiar … Read more
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] This is part two in a four article series about how voters respond to ranked ballots and proportional voting systems. You can read the other articles in this series here: Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4. Imagine you are running for office and you’ve got a strong base of voters who know you … Read more
This is part one in a four article series about how voters respond to ranked ballots and proportional voting systems. You can read the other articles in this series here: Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. US voter turnout is pitifully low compared with other democracies around the world. Though Oregon and Washington have … Read more
Exciting democracy changes are afoot in Cascadia. This year the Washington state legislature passed a suite of bills affirming its citizens’ right to vote. Benton County, Oregon, is about to become the first Cascadian jurisdiction in nearly a decade to use ranked-choice voting. And British Columbians will decide this year whether to make their elections … Read more
Last month, senior research associate Margaret Morales was a guest on “Democracy Speaks!” to discuss democracy reform with host Cindy Black. Margaret provided an overview of the work Sightline is doing in the democracy realm (campaign finance, access to voting rights, and reforming voting systems) before focusing on proportional representation. Listen to the hour-long interview in its entirety … Read more
This week and next, Sightline senior research associate Margaret Morales will tour the Seattle region to talk with locals about the problem of gerrymandering in our elections. Hosted by the King County Library System, Margaret will give a short presentation, then field questions from the audience. Can’t make an event, but still curious about gerrymandering? … Read more
Author’s note: This is an appendix to all my proportional representation articles that reference the “threshold of exclusion” in races for multiple seats in a district. Some readers want to know more about how I calculated those thresholds. This appendix explains. A threshold of exclusion is the minimum number of voters who must vote for … Read more
