Online PR Resources
Organizations
Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) was formed in England in 1884 as the Proportional Representation Society (history). The ERS has quite a bit of useful reference material, some of it listed below.
FairVote
FairVote is probably the most visible advocate of electoral reform in the United States. In their own words,
FairVote acts to transform our elections to achieve universal access to participation, a full spectrum of meaningful ballot choices and majority rule with fair representation for all. As a catalyst for change, we build support for innovative strategies to win a constitutionally protected right to vote, universal voter registration, a national popular vote for president, instant runoff voting and proportional representation.
As a reform catalyst, FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels. Our vision of an equally secure, meaningful and effective vote for all Americans is founded on the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech: we are created equal, government is of, by and for the people and it is time to make real the promise of democracy.
FairVote lists a number of associated state organizations:
Fair Vote Canada
“Fair Vote Canada is a multi-partisan national citizens campaign promoting fair voting systems for use in elections at all levels.”
Proportional Representation Society of Australia
Political Parties
Green Party of the United States
The GPUS 2016 platform includes strong support for PR.
Libertarian Party
In 2002, the Libertarian Party adopted a platform with explicit support for proportional representation.
Electoral systems matter. The predominant use of ‘winner-take-all’ elections in gerrymandered, single-member districts fosters political monopolies and creates a substantial government-imposed barrier to election of non-incumbent political parties and candidates. We propose electoral systems that are more representative of the electorate at the federal, state, and local levels, such as proportional voting systems with multi-member districts for legislative elections and instant runoff voting (IRV) for single winner elections.
The 2008 Libertarian national platform includes somewhat less specific language.
We support electoral systems that are more representative of the electorate at the federal, state and local levels.
Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center
“The Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center provides a compilation of best practices and first-hand experiences from jurisdictions that have used this method of voting. This website and overall project serve as a resource for voters, election administrators, policy makers, and candidates.”
General PR Resources
ACE Electoral Knowledge Network
The ACE Project has a wealth of information relating to electoral methods and practices, including a useful summary of PR and other electoral systems.
IFES Election Guide
The IFES Election Guide is a project of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). From the site:
ElectionGuide provides timely and accurate information on:
- National elections around the world, and other electoral events deemed of high interest
- Political parties and candidates
- Referenda provisions
- Breaking news on election-related laws and political developments around the world
- Governmental and electoral structures
- Election results and voter turnout
John Cleese explains PR
In a 10-minute video from 1985, Monty Python’s John Cleese explains the rationale for proportional representation, and STV in particular. The video was made on behalf of the UK Liberal Party in the wake of the 1983 parliamentary election, in which the Conservative, Labour and Liberal (in alliance with the SDP) received 42%, 28% and 26% of the vote, respectively, and won 397, 209 and 23(!) seats. “This is ludicrous,” says Cleese, “or, as children would say, ‘Not fair!'”
Cleese does a remarkably good job of laying out the rationale for PR, explaining its benefits, and refuting its critics.
PR Library
Douglas Amy’s comprehensive PR Library has not been updated recently, but it still contains a wealth of information and links to still more information on PR. Here is a partial list of articles:
- “Should I Be Interested in Proportional Representation?” A very quick political quiz to see if proportional representation addresses some of your political concerns about American elections.
- “What are Voting Systems and Why are They Important?” A basic description of what a voting system is, along with a short discussion of the important political impacts that these systems can have.
- “What is Proportional Representation and Why Do We Need this Reform?” Essential reading. Explains how PR would cure some of the serious shortcoming of American elections, and exactly why it is superior to our current voting system.
- “How Does PR Work?” A brief explanation of how various forms of PR work, illustrated with ballots.
- “How Can I Help to Promote PR?” Some ideas for how you can get involved in encouraging this political reform.
- “Types of Voting Systems.” A brief survey of the full range of available voting systems, including plurality-majority systems, proportional systems, and semiproportional systems.
- Glossary of Terms. Some special terminology is used in the discussion of and analysis of voting systems. If you come across in your readings a term you don’t understand, look it up here.
