[Sosfbay-discuss] IRV Passed in all four places it was on the ballot

[JamBoi]

Dear friends, please see the good news below.  On November 7, instant
runoff voting passed in all four places where it was on the ballot --
four for four, a clean sweep. 

Sincerely,
Steven Hill 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                
CONTACT:     Steven Hill, 415-665-5044                                 
                            
                Hill at newamerica.net
                                                                       
                                    Lynne Serpe, 213-480-0994
                                                                       
                                    Serpe at newamerica.net

Election Proves New Voting Method to Improve Democracy Is Catching On

Signature idea from New America is adopted by voters in four cities,
two in California



SACRAMENTO, CA -- Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), a signature idea from
the New America Foundation to give voters more influence and more
choices in 
elections, continued to gain favor in California and elsewhere as four
cities strongly approved November 7 ballot measures supporting the
idea.

In California, where San Francisco became the state's first Instant
Runoff Voting city in 2004, voters in the cities of Oakland and Davis
approved the idea, which would allow voters to rank their first,
second, and third choices for office. Oakland overwhelmingly supported
the measure by 69% of the returns, meaning voters will use Instant
Runoff Voting for all local offices in November 2008. The Davis measure
was an advisory recommendation.

Elsewhere, voters in Minneapolis passed their ballot measure with 65% 
support. And in Pierce County, Washington, voters supported the move to
IRV for their partisan county elections with 54% of the vote.

New America staff Lynne Serpe and Steven Hill played a key role as
advisors to several of these campaigns, giving workshops on how to
educate the public and create educational materials.

The elections clearly affirm a growing trend toward Instant Runoff
Voting as a response to public frustration with unresponsive and
unaccountable government leaders. Instant Runoff Voting discourages
negative campaigning and opens the process to candidates and ideas that
may not be viable in a traditional winner-take-all election.

"Clearly there is strong interest among voters in political reforms
that open up the political system and make voters feel like their vote
counts," said Lynne Serpe, Deputy Director of New America's Political
Reform Program. "What was interesting about the four victories for IRV
was that they happened in four very different locations. Oakland is a
very diverse and working-class city; Minneapolis is a liberal
Midwestern city; Pierce County is mostly a rural county with large
numbers of independent voters; and Davis is a smaller, university town.
 Yet in every place Instant Runoff Voting provided a unique solution to
problems with representative government and democracy."

Instant Runoff Voting already is used in San Francisco, which on
November 7 had its third election using Instant Runoff Voting for local
offices. Burlington, Vermont elected its mayor using Instant Runoff
Voting in March 2006.

For more information on the election and Instant Runoff Voting go to 
http://www.newamerica.net/programs/political_reform.

About New America Foundation
New America Foundation is a nonprofit, post-partisan, public policy
institute whose purpose is to bring exceptionally promising new voices
and new ideas to the fore of our nation?s public discourse. Relying on
a venture capital approach, the Foundation invests in outstanding
individuals and policy solutions that transcend the conventional
political spectrum. Headquartered in our nation's capital, New America
also has offices in California and New York.

For more information about New America or the Political Reform Program,
go to 
www.newamerica.net/california

___________________

JamBoi
Jammy The Sacred Cow Slayer

"Live humbly, laugh often and love unconditionally" (anon)
http://dailyJam.blogspot.com


 
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