FairVote Interview
Fairvote advocates for a system that better represents a broader spectrum of voters and their real preferences.
Many democracies around the world, including the USA, rely on a first-past-the-post voting system. There is only one winner, and it’s the person with the most votes. Unfortunately, this system has a number of fatal flaws.
Find out how democracy can be fairer, more engaging and more empowering.
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June 18, 2021
Fairvote: What’s Wrong With Our Voting System And How Can We Change It?
Fairvote: What’s Wrong With Our Voting System And How Can We Change It?
Every election cycle, we hear controversy about politicians playing the system, cancelling out opposition votes, spreading false rumours and generally doing anything they can to win. In this episode we talked with Deb Otis from Fairvote about the importance of a more representative voting system.
The Advantages Of Ranked Choice Voting & Fair Representation
There are many problems with our current electoral system. Deb explains that in a two-horse race, there’s a natural spoiler effect; a third party that isn’t as popular as the main two can end up harming the chances of the main candidate they are more aligned with by splitting their natural voter base. This allows a candidate to win who the majority might dislike and encourages us to vote tactically and cynically rather than for the candidate we most support.
Another problem is gerrymandering. This is where a government redraws local election boundary lines to dilute opposition support and carve out ‘safe’ counties for themselves. Officials representing these areas are held less accountable because they can rely on practically frictionless reelection.
Ranked choice voting allows the public to express their real preferences in order without worrying about inadvertently electing a candidate they dislike. It ensures that no citizen is dissuaded from voting because they live in a county where their favourite choice ‘has no chance’. In short, it represents what people want far better than a winner-takes-all system.
Listen to the whole interview to find out more. You can read about how ranked choice voting works here. Fairvote also welcomes donations, to help enrich our democracy.
Want to learn more about Fairvote? You can check out their blog, support the Fair Representation Act and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
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