[ed 10/12/06: we've raised $1,130 so far]
Minneapolis is in the unique position to enact some major voting reform this November 7th. We call it
Instant Runoff Voting. I'm on the Organizing Committee and we've built a large grassroots campaign. We're in our final push of the campaign and need help.
We want to put inserts into four local, neighborhood newspapers. We need $10,000 to do it. It breaks down to roughly $2,500 per. Click here to donate at the campaign's website.
Every $5, $10, $25, 50, $100 & $250 helps
IRV, also known as ranked choice voting, is a method that guarantees a majority winner. Basically, voters rank their candidates. If none receive 50%+1 then an instant runoff ensues. The candidate with the fewest votes is dropped. The people who voted for the candidate who dropped have their vote redistributed to their second choice. This process continues until someone has a majority.
I'll be tracking our final fundraising push as mnblue.com. Please help us look good!
We have relied on grassroots organizing and fundraising. However, we don't have much time left and could use some help from all of you Kossacks who want to see voting reform enacted. So far, San Fransisco, Burlington VT and Cambridge MA have IRV. All those cities have had positive experiences with it. Please check this out and help out if you can.
Click here for an in-depth explanation of IRV.
There are a number of advantages to IRV:
- maximize voter participation and available choices of candidates
- IRV eliminates low-turnout primaries and brings the most voters together with the most candidates to choose from at the same election. It also ensures that candidates will not be disqualified in primary elections who may otherwise win in a high turnout general election.
- assure fairer and more accurate representation of the voters
- IRV provides results that better reflect the voters' intent. It also empowers voters to vote sincerely without being concerned about wasting their vote and, in turn, allows candidates to run on their issues and get an accurate tally of support.
- eliminate the cost of the Primary and reduce the cost of campaigns
- The city spends less money with only one election to administer and candidates spend less money with only one election to campaign for.
- lead to more informative and positive campaigns
- IRV invigorates campaigns and reduces polarization by bringing multiple viewpoints into the debate and it promotes positive, issue based campaigns.
The IRV Campaign is coordinating lit drops with all the candidates who are lit dropping. We're on our city's sample ballot. We're so close. We've got tremendous support from within Minneapolis including:
Nonprofit and Civic Organizations
League of Women Voters of Minnesota
League of Women Voters of Minneapolis
FairVote Minnesota
Minnesota Public Interest Research Group
Center for Civic Participation
Institute for Local Self Reliance
Resource Center of the Americas
Foundation for Global Community-Minnesota
Friends for a Non-Violent World
Twin Cities Gray Panthers
Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers
Tikkun Community of Minneapolis & St. Paul
Growing Communities of Peace
Confederation of Somali Communities of Minnesota
Minneapolis Democracy for America Group
Vets for Peace, Chapter 27
Citizens for Election Integrity
TakeAction Minnesota
Sierra Club, North Star Chapter
First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
Twin Cities League of Pissed Off Voters
Minneapolis Urban League
Media
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Political Parties
Independence Party of Minnesota
Green Party of Minnesota
Libertarian Party of Minnesota
Minneapolis DFL
DFL Progressive Caucus
Stonewall DFL
MN Young DFL Executive Committee
DFL Senate District 59 Central Committee
DFL Senate District 60 Executive Committee
DFL Senate District 61 Central Committee
DFL Senate District 63 Central Committee (Minneapolis Delegation)
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Democrats (UDFL)
Neighborhood Associations
East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association
Kingfield Neighborhood Association
Fulton Neighborhood Association
Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association
Longfellow Community Council
Linden Hills Neighborhood Council
Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association (letter)
Windom Park Citizens in Action
Lyndale Neighborhood Association
Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association
Armatage Neighborhood Association
Field, Regina, Northrop Neighborhood Association
Labor Organizations
United Steel Workers of America, District 11
Community Businesses
Mayday Bookstore
Arise! Bookstore
Northern Sun
Innovative Power Systems
Luminaries
Al Franken
Elected Officials
- Mike Hatch, Minnesota Attorney General & gubenatorial candidate
- R.T. Rybak, Minneapolis Mayor
Current Minneapolis City Council
- Paul Ostrow, Ward 1
- Cam Gordon, Ward 2
- Don Samuels, Ward 5
- Robert Lilligren, Ward 6
- Elizabeth Glidden, Ward 8
- Gary Schiff, Ward 9
- Ralph Remington, Ward 10
- Scott Benson, Ward 11
- Betsy Hodges, Ward 13
Past Minneapolis City Officials
- Don Fraser, Mayor
- Joan Campbell, Ward 2
- Walter Rockenstein, Ward 11
- Jim Niland, Ward 6
- Dean Zimmerman, Ward 6
- Dan Niziolek, Ward 10
- Joan Niemiec, Ward 10
Current School and Independent City Boards
- Alan Hooker, Library Board
- Rod Krueger, Library Board
- Joe Erickson, School Board
- Peggy Flanagan, School Board
- Judy Farmer, School Board
- Audrey Johnson, School Board
- Lydia Lee, School Board
- Colleen Moriarty, School Board
- Jill Schwimmer, Board of Estimate and Taxation
- Tracy Nordstrom, Park Board
- Annie Young, Park Board
- Tom Nordyke, Park Board
Hennepin County Commissioners
- Gail Dorfman
- Peter McLaughlin
- Mark Stenglein
Minneapolis Legislative Delegation
- Senator Larry Pogemiller, SD 59
- Senator Scott Dibble, SD 60
- Senator Jane Ranum, SD 63
- Representative Keith Ellison, LD 58B
- Representative Phyllis Kahn, LD 59B
- Representative Margaret Anderson Kelliher, LD 60A
- Representative Frank Hornstein, LD 60B
- Representative Karen Clark, LD 61A
- Representative Neva Walker, LD 61B
- Representative Jim Davnie, LD 62A
- Representative Jean Wagenius, LD 62B
- Representative Paul Thissen, LD 63A
2006 Candidates
Federal Office
- Michael Cavlan, U.S. Senate
- Keith Ellison, U.S. House of Representatives, CD 5
- Jay Pond, U.S. House of Representatives, CD 5
- Tammy Lee, U.S. House of Representatives, CD 5
Statewide Office
- Mike Hatch, Governor
- Peter Hutchinson, Governor
- Sue Jeffers, Governor
- Mark Ritchie, Secretary of State
- Bruce Kennedy, Secretary of State
- Rebecca Otto, State Auditor
Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives
- Patricia Torres Ray, SD 62
- Dan Larson, SD 63
Minneapolis School Board
- Pam Costain
- Tom Madden
- T. Williams
- Chris Stewart
Hennepin County
- Gregory Gray, Commissioner, District 2
- Gail Dorfman, Commissioner, District 3
- Farheen Hakeem, Commissioner, District 4
- Peter McLaughlin, Commissioner, District 4
- Mike Freeman, County Attorney
- Andy Luger, County Attorney
- Juan Lopez, County Sheriff