California State Flag Californians for
Electoral Reform
PO Box 128, Sacramento, CA 95812
916-455-8021
cfer DASH info AT cfer DOT org
Home   |  About CfER   |  Join / renew   |  Learn   |  Legislation   |  Local Campaigns   |  Community Outreach   |  Search

Voice for Democracy

Newsletter of Californians for Electoral Reform

Winter 2010

In This Issue

Thank You!
Interested in National or International News?
IRV Usage to Quadruple in 2010
CfER Working to Defeat Top-Two Ballot Measure
Brief Legislative Update
President's Letter
Join CfER or Renew Your Membership now
About CfER
Local Chapters and Contacts
Support Our Work
Voice for Democracy

Thank You!

We have made great progress in the past few years. We want to thank you for everything you've done to help us succeed.

Interested in National or International News?

If you are interested in national or international news, visit FairVote at www.fairvote.org. FairVote is the national leader in educating about and advocating for proportional voting, Instant Runoff Voting, and other important reforms. We are proud to work very closely with FairVote, and encourage you to support FairVote in any way that you can.

IRV Usage to Quadruple in 2010

San Leandro, Oakland and Berkeley have all officially voted to use IRV for the first time this November. This is big news -- we are about to quadruple the number of California cities using IRV. Find out more in this report from Jim Lindsay and Dave Kadlecek.

CfER Working to Defeat Top-Two Ballot Measure

California voters will see a ballot measure on the June 8, 2010 ballot called the "top-two open primary". It is Proposition 14. In November 2004, California voters defeated a similar measure, Proposition 62. CfER opposed Proposition 62, and the CfER Board has recently voted to oppose the 2010 measure. Learn why in this analysis by Richard Winger of Ballot Access News.

Brief Legislative Update

On February 19, Senator Loni Hancock (D-9) and Assembly Member Mike Eng (D-49) introduced SB 1346 and AB 2732, respectively, identical bills that would save counties millions of dollars by allowing them to use IRV for special elections to fill vacancies. They would apply to vacancy elections for Congress and the state legislature. Read more legislation news here.

President's Letter

CfER president Steve Chessin comments on implementation in Alameda County, top two primaries, new board members and a bureaucratic SNAFU. Read his letter to members here.

Join CfER or Renew Your Membership now

Help us grow! Download, print and distribute this membership flyer.

About CfER ...

Californians for Electoral Reform (CfER) is a statewide citizens' group promoting election reforms that ensure that our government fairly represents the voters. We are a nonpartisan, non­profit organization with members from across the political spectrum. Since our founding in May of 1993, our numbers have grown from about two dozen to hundreds of members participating in local chapters across California.

OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM IS IMPORTANT

The method by which we vote has dramatic consequences, and nearly one third of the state's electorate consistently goes without a representative that speaks for them in Sacramento. The choice of electoral system can determine whether there will be "spoilers" or vote-splitting effects, majority sweeps of representation on city councils, or pervasive negative campaign­ing. The choice of electoral system determines whether minority perspectives or racial and ethnic minority groups receive fair representation or get shut out of the process entirely.

CfER IS THE LEADING ADVOCACY GROUP FOR THESE REFORMS IN CALIFORNIA

CfER works for legislation that would allow cities and counties to adopt voting methods that allow people to rank their preferences when they vote   CfER also works with activists in its local chapters to enact fair election methods in cities and counties across the state.

For more information about CfER, please visit

www.cfer.org/aboutus

CfER was established by citizens like you who think that our government should be representative of the people.  A lot of progress is already being made, but the future depends on you.

To join CfER, or renew your membership, please visit

www.cfer.org/join

Support Our Work

We will soon be able to accept contributions on our website. Meanwhile, checks payable to "Californians for Electoral Reform" or "CfER" can be mailed to the address below.

Voice for Democracy

Voice for Democracy is published by

Californians for Electoral Reform

P.O. Box 128

Sacramento, CA  95812

Phone: 916-455-8021

E-mail:

www.cfer.org

Contents copyright © 2010 by Californians for Electoral Reform.  Signed articles are the responsibility of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Californians for Electoral Reform.