US Supreme Court says cheating with electoral boundaries is just fine
The toxic virus of political partisanship today infected the United States Supreme Court, with a majority of five judges appointed by Republican presidents voting to declare that federal courts should … Continue reading
Will ranked-choice voting spread in the US?
After the historic use of ranked choice (preferential) voting* in the US state of Maine to conduct elections for representatives to the national Congress, social media is alive with the … Continue reading
Ranked choice voting: the Australian connection
Australians have been watching developments last week regarding ranked choice voting* (RCV) in the state of Maine – and potentially elsewhere in the US – with great interest, because Australia … Continue reading
As goes Maine … US state uses preferential voting to elect national representatives
After two years of dogged insistence from an independent-minded community, voters in the US state of Maine have become the first in the nation’s history to elect representatives in their … Continue reading
Close final US House special election backs ‘blue wave’ prediction
Predictions of a major ‘wave’ against Republican party incumbents in the coming US midterm elections have gained ground at the final special election to be held before the general election … Continue reading
Mainers defend preferential voting … for now
Voters in the US state of Maine have today backed an unusual ballot to veto controversial electoral legislation of the state legislature, in doing so protecting a 2016 referendum vote … Continue reading
Gun reform cause: partisanship imposed by broken US voting system
The astonishing campaign by US school students to change gun safety law leads directly to calls for current legislators to respond, or be voted out of office. But one key … Continue reading
Congressional cliffhanger: did the Libertarian cost the Republican victory?
The very close result in last night’s special election for the vacant 18th congressional district of Pennsylvania looks set to attract a lot of attention to the idea of ranked choice … Continue reading
Democrats seize congressional seat in historic cliffhanger vote
A seat in the United States House of Representatives appears to have changed hands, with Democratic Party candidate Conor Lamb holding a 847-vote margin in late-night counting for the special … Continue reading
US Gerrymandering declared unconstitutional – again
A superior federal court in another US state – this time North Carolina – has declared that partisan gerrymandering of electoral districts is contrary to the US Constitution. A three-judge … Continue reading