Just thinking outloud regarding the division of existing jurisdictions by lines for higher offices: if I were a city or county official (especially at-large or the executive/manager), I might want my jurisdiction to be split into two congressional or state legislative districts as it would give me more office holders to pressure when I had an issue to raise. Does that make sense (in the abstract or practically)?
In any event, who is it then that prefers, or why prefer, that counties not be divided in these plans? Or is it just an example of people wanting maps to be "tidy" (something too many pundits worry about it seams to me).
-Doug
Tongue firmly in cheek, let me highlight rumors that Gov. McDonnell became
a passionate reader of the FairVote blog on electoral reform after we
rightly praised him for policies on voting rights for citizens with felony
convictions.
The governor this week would have seen our blogpost below with alternative
maps for Virginia. Our plans for the House of Delegates and state senate
would:
* divide fewer counties than proposed plans
* put every voter in every election in a contested election with competitive
choice
* increase representation of racial minorities, including providing for the
first time opportunities for Latino voters to elect candidates of choice
* likely boost representation of women candidates, who have more success in
multi-seat district elections
* keep the two party system largely -- if not perfectly -- intact;
* provide all voters with representatives of both major parties, meaning
members of each party's legislative caucuses would represent every single
Virginian when debating what is best for the future of the state.
No alternative proposal based on winner-take-all voting comes even close to
such outcomes. Note further that Republican Bill Brady, who narrowly lost
the general election for governor last year, including in his platform the
goal of restoring such a system of non-winner-take-all voting to his state.
And as a final point, nearly __every__ new democracy emerging from
dictatorship rejects winner-take-all voting-- every eastern European
democracy went to a form of proportional voting, for example, and
pro-democracy advocates in Arab nations such as Tunisia, Libya, Jordan,
Lebanon and Yemen overwhelmingly back forms of proportional voting in their
counties,
So as Virginia's elected officials fight over which plan to adopt, keep in
mind that every single proposed plan would put most voters in one-sided
districts in which their representation has been largely determined by
mapmakers, not how they vote. We'll be doing similar alternative voting
plans as other states release plans. For instance, look on Monday for a
simple congressional district plan for Louisiana based on drawing two
three-seat US House districts: each new district would likely result in
shared representation of the major parties and create clear opportunities
for African Americans to elect candidates of choice.
But back within the blinkers of the winner-take-all world, kudos to Michael
McDonald's Public Mapping Project that may have contributed to an
understanding of better winner-take-all alternatives.
- Rob Richie, FairVote