Subject: Re: [EL] At-large districts op-ed
From: Jon Roland
Date: 3/5/2011, 4:24 PM
To: "election-law@mailman.lls.edu" <election-law@mailman.lls.edu>
Reply-to:
"jon.roland@constitution.org"

On 03/05/2011 06:00 PM, Gaddie, Ronald K. wrote:
I'd hope (and expect) that the average sports fan is less sophisticated than the average voter.

But , it appears, more highly motivated to understand.

In  Voting Theory and Reform we present an array of alternatives. Perhaps the best alternative, although seemingly a little complicated, is Proxy Voting, in which instead of single-member districts, when n members are to be elected, the top n vote-getters would be declared elected, and each would, in the legislature or in Congress, cast not one vote, but as many votes as he or she received in the election. That would mean that any minority group that could join in casting at least 1/n of the total votes cast would get a member elected. But the voting strength of each member would be proportional to the number who voted for him. That is a manageable thing to do, except that there could no longer be voice votes. Every vote in the legislative body would have to be a roll call vote.

A little complicated, but no worse than what happens at corporate shareholder meetings every day, and they seem to be able to manage it.

-- Jon

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