Papers, please: Why the UK must think again before importing US-style voter ID to BritainVoting is a key cornerstone of any democratic system. Just as important are the principles underpinning it: that every vote should be equal, and every vote should count. The US elections have brought these principles...Posted 03 Nov 2020
When it comes to fair votes, the US Senate is ripe for reformIf seats are ever to match votes in America, the US will need to look at the distorted Senate. While all eyes are firmly fixed on the race for the White House and, if you’re...Posted 02 Nov 2020
Four ways of electing a president – ranked from worst to bestAmerica’s presidential election is the most famous presidential election in the world. The antiquated American system of choosing a president via an electoral college is also one of the worst methods for choosing a national...Posted 02 Nov 2020
How the US’ warped Electoral College means millions of votes make no differenceIn the last five US elections, two presidents have been summoned to office whilst obtaining fewer votes than their opponent. For example, in 2000 George W. Bush won with four hundred thousand fewer votes than...Posted 02 Nov 2020
Could Trump win the Presidency and lose the popular vote again?There have been two ‘wrong winners’ in UK general elections over the last 70 years. In 1951, Labour got more votes than the Conservatives but the Tories won more seats. In February 1974, the position...Posted 30 Oct 2020
US election: Why 33 states have had no presidential campaign events at allFairVote’s Benjamin Oestericher explains how America’s first past the post style electoral college makes vast swathes of the country an electoral desert. This map, designed by FairVote, displays the geographic composition of 2020 campaign events...Posted 30 Oct 2020
Manifesto for Democracy: Deepening DemocracyDemocracy is about empowering citizens to be involved in their political system and as such embedding the voices of everyday citizens into those systems is vital to democracy that works. Without it we risk not...Posted 30 Oct 2020
ERS in the Press – October 2020This month has seen a renewed interest in proportional representation internationally. Willie Sullivan backed up the case for a fairer voting system in Canada, drawing on his experience in Scotland. “If you want a system...Posted 29 Oct 2020
As the Scottish Government closes the ‘dark ads’ loophole, Westminster must follow suitFor too long now, online political campaigning in Britain has gone effectively unregulated – to the benefit of well-funded, secretive groups, and to the detriment of voters. Despite the rapid rise of online political ads as a campaign tool, governments...Posted 29 Oct 2020
Manifesto for Democracy: Education for the futureEducation is key to ensuring that newly enfranchised voters understand the system they can now have a voice in. That 16 and 17 year olds in Wales can now vote in Senedd elections offers us...Posted 29 Oct 2020