In this issue
IRV continues to gain support | IRV gets hearing in MN Senate | FairVote MN responds to IRV opponents | Bringing DC Claim Democracy conference home | Issues Group update | Saint Paul BBC '08 | IRV Victories 2007 | FairVoteMinnesota Southeast | DONATE NOW!

IRV continues to gain support

Former US Senator Dave Durenberger has endorsed Instant Runoff Voting and is one of several new additions to the growing list of IRV supporters. New organizational and media endorsements include The White House Project and the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Click here for the full story.

IRV gets a hearing in the Minnesota Senate

Senator Dan Larson, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Elections, held a general hearing on IRV on November 20th. IRV legislation could move forward as early as the 2008 legislative session. Click here for highlights and copies of testimonials. Also see Pioneer Press coverage.

FairVote Minnesota responds to IRV opponents

The Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA), a St. Paul based organization opposed to the institution of IRV in Minnesota, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis, the secretary of state and the attorney general to prevent the use of IRV there.

The lawsuit alleges that instant runoff voting (IRV) is unconstitutional and violates the principle of “one person, one vote and contends that voters won’t be able to figure out the system. Due to the many inaccuracies in MVA's position and statements, FairVote Minnesota issued a press release that set the record straight.

Bringing DC Claim Democracy conference home

Minnesotans attended the biennial Claiming Democracy conference in Washington D.C., November 9 - 11th. The conference was a wealth of information that FairVote Minnesota will highlight at a post conference gathering on Wed. January 16th at 6:00 pm. See details here.

Issues Group update

Two important tasks are underway by the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Issues Group:

1) The development of statutory rules and procedures for IRV elections, which may be introduced in the 2008 legislative session

2) A review of equipment options for the implementation of IRV in Minneapolis in 2009.

Preliminary reports are due in late January or early February, ahead of the next full RCV Issues Group meeting anticipated in February.

IRV equipment demonstrations continue in January, with TrueBallot, Inc. and Sequoia Voting Systems scheduled to present on January 10th at 9:00 am. Join us to see first-hand how RCV voting systems work and the options being considered for Minneapolis' first RCV election in 2009. See details here.

Click here for a full update on the work of the RCV Issues Group. If you are interested in participating, contact Beth Fraser at the Office of Secretary of State.

St. Paul Better Ballot Campaign '08

Two strong IRV backers - Melvin Carter (Ward 1) and Russ Stark (Ward 4) - were elected to the Saint Paul City Council in November. These council members will help lead the charter amendment effort in 2008, supported by the more than 5,000 individuals who signed petitions to put IRV on the ballot.

Check out the Saint Paul Better Ballot Campaign website for more news and details on how to help IRV win in Saint Paul.

IRV Victories 2007

FairVote Minnesota tracked IRV elections and ballot measures across the country in November. Read all about the highly successful first-time use of IRV in North Carolina and about exciting ballot measure victories from Sarasota, Florida to Aspen, Colorado.

In March '08, IRV will be on the ballot in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

FairvoteMinnesota SouthEast

Click here to read the latest news on the Southeast front, where charter
commissions in cities like Lake City and Red Wing are evaluating the move towards improved voting. FairVote Minnesota board member, Dag Knudsen, is leading an educational effort to promote better voting in Goodhue, Wabasha, Olmsted, Fillmore, Houston and Winona counties.

In just a few days, a new year will begin. It will be an exciting year for democracy. FairVote Minnesota needs your support more than ever to continue promoting IRV as a sensible and Constitutionally tested electoral reform.

With your support, FairVote Minnesota will:

• Work to ensure the successful implementation of IRV in Minneapolis in 2009.

• Support the St. Paul Better Ballot Campaign's effort to pass IRV in 2008.

• Support Better Ballot charter amendment campaigns in Duluth and other Minnesota cities interested in adopting a better way to vote.

• Advocate for legislation that makes it easy for any Minnesota jurisdiction to use IRV

• Prevent opponents from turning back the clock on IRV through lawsuits and other tactics

The coming year will be crucial, but with your help we can - and will - succeed. So please, give a generous year-end gift to support FairVote Minnesota!

Donate Now!

Best wishes for the New Year!

FairVote Minnesota is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization leading the effort to institute instant runoff voting (IRV) in Minnesota. We conduct research, citizen outreach and engagement programs, empower public officials, work for election reform and campaign to institute IRV in elections throughout Minnesota.