Early adopting states and localities that enacted alternatives to plurality elections, like instant runoff voting or ranked choice coting, have no been able to see these reforms in action. These alternatives promise to both reduce the "spolier effect" of third party candidates and eliminate the need for costly second round runoffs when a majority vote is not reached. This webinar will examine the efficacy of these alternative election models, discuss their pros and cons, and highlight both best practices and real world challenges to implementation.
Time
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 1.00 pm EST
Speakers
Rob Richie, Executive Director FairVote
An expert on international and domestic elections and electoral reform, Rob Richie has directed FairVote since its founding in 1992. Amoung his activities at FairVote, Richie has:
· Worked with congressional and state legislative staff in writing numerous pieces of legislation;
· Testified in special sessions before charter commissions in cities in New York, Florida, Ohio, Texas and Michigan and before state legislative committees in Alaska, Vermont, Virginia and Washington;
· Published commentary in such publications as New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Roll Call, Nation, National Civic Review, Boston Review, Christian Science Monitor and Legal Times;* co-authored two books, Every Vote Equal (2006) and Whose Votes Count (2001) and had his writings appear in seven other books.
(e):
rr@fairvote.org
Steven Hill, Former Director, Political Reform Program, New America Foundation
Steven Hill is a political writer and the founding director of the Political Reform Program at the New America Foundation. That program, which ceased operations on May 31, 2010, sought to develop the best opportunities for reform, educate opinion leaders and the public about electoral alternatives, and encourage the formation of a broad-based coalition. Mr. Hill is the author, most recently, of Europe's Promise: Why the European Way Is the Best Hope for an Insecure Age (www.EuropesPromise.org), published in January 2010.
(e) shill@igc.org
Bob Hall, Executive Director of Democracy North Carolina
Bob has been working with grassroots groups across the South since 1970, collaborating with them on research projects involving economic and social issues. He has served as executive director and research director with the Institute for Southern Studies and was recognized for that work with a MacArthur Fellowship in 1992. He has an MA in Sociology and Religion from Columbia University.