In both the US and Britain, millions are silenced by a broken electoral systemFirst published in the i newspaper While President Trump looked hopefully at a path to re-election on Tuesday night, one fact offered a little consolation to Democrats: they were winning the popular vote. But in...Posted 06 Nov 2020
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
Westminster could learn a lot from the Australian Capital Territory Could Australia’s capital show the rest of Australia and Westminster how to be fairer and more representative?Posted 21 Oct 2020
Does PR mean coalitions? As New Zealand shows – it’s all down to the votersThe New Zealand Labour party are celebrating a landslide win, with 49 percent of the vote and enough MPs to form a single-party government on their own. This is the first time since New Zealand...Posted 20 Oct 2020
Early voting doesn’t have to mean long queuesTwo news stories stood out this week. As early voting opened in some US states, images of voters queuing all day to vote were greeted as signs of enthusiasm in America but confusion outside, while...Posted 15 Oct 2020