Every voter deserves to be heard.
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Every voter deserves to be heard - not just the 30% of primary voters who decide an election.
Proportional Representation ensures that our representatives have to listen to all their constituents’ voices - not just the loudest ones in their party.
The Issue
America is supposed to be a land of no taxation without representation - but the vast majority of voters are disenfranchised every election. In 2024, voters in less than 4 states determined the fate of the Presidential election, and in the 2022 congressional elections, less than 10% of the seats were even competitive. This means that on average, over 70% of Americans’ vote doesn’t count every election.
HOW U.S. ELECTIONS TYPICALLY WORK
Unlike in most of the world, elections in the United States are Winner Take All elections. This means that in a single race, only one candidate can win, no matter how slim the majority. In a highly polarized country, this means that anyone in a minority, even a 49% minority, is almost completely unrepresented.
GERRYMANDERING
Politicians redraw districts to include only their voters - and none of the oppositions’. This can separate a relatively purple state, such as North Carolina, into a majority republican or democratic state.
SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS
By requiring single-member districts, politicians ensure that only the primary voters for their party get to decide the winner. Thanks to SMDs, over 90% of the seats in Congress are considered “safe,” meaning there’s little chance the opposition party can “throw the bums out.”
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
In an effort to give the states power over our elections, the electoral college accords votes based on the land of a state - not the people in it. This ensures that a small number of Americans get to decide the Presidency - while every other vote is wasted.
THE SOLUTION? PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.
Proportional Representation is used in over 100 countries around the world, and is one of the few electoral reforms that has been proven to increase representation, decrease polarization, and increase trust in elections. Proportional Representation means 3 things happen:
1.
DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN ON LOGICAL LINES
Our current winner-take-all system incentivizes gerrymandering, which results in politicians drawing districts with the voters they want in them, and the voters they don’t want outside of them. Proportional representation means drawing districts that make sense- such as along county lines, as squares, or along geographical boundaries.
2.
MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIVES ARE ELECTED PER DISTRICT
Each of these districts elects multiple representatives based on the percentage of voters who approved each candidate. For example, if 60% of votes go to Democrats, 30% to Republicans, and 10% to a third party, each party would get the number of seats allotted.
3.
MORE REPRESENTATIVE, LESS POLARIZING ELECTIONS
Now that governments have to represent all the voters in their district, extremists are pushed to the outside. Candidates who can make a compelling case to multiple sides get elected more often, and third parties and independents can represent their voters.
How Proportional Representation Changes the Game
Instead of allowing parties to choose what politicians we elect, proportional representation awards seats based on the percentage of votes received in a district. So if a district has 60% Republicans, and 40% Democrats, that district would get 6 Republicans and 4 Democrats elected.
The Impact of Proportional Representation
Proportional Representation, used by over 130 countries around the world, and to a lesser extent, many local elections in the United States, reduces partisanship, makes elections harder to rig, and creates a more trusting society.
ENSURES FAIR VOTES
Instead of handing a minority of voters in the ruling party every election, proportional representation ensures that every voter in the district has a chance to be represented. This means even if we are the minority in our district right now, our voice can still be heard.
ENSURES MINORITY REPRESENTATION
The vast majority of Americans are not fully aligned with either party. Proportional representation ensures that minority voices are heard, and voted into office. Instead of being forced to align with the “opposite party” voters can back the candidate that actually represents them.
EMPOWERS THIRD PARTIES
When people say a third party cannot win, they’re right. With proportional representation though, any party that can gather a significant portion of voters, even 10%, can elect representatives to the legislature.
CREATES BETTER OUTCOMES
Because Proportional Representation ensures all voices are heard, it ensures that the policies that are written include all voices - eliminating extreme, no holds-barred legislation and ensuring what makes it to the president’s desk actually represents the people.
YES
I believe people should decide who their politicians are, not the other way around. I support efforts to draw fair district lines, increase representation, and ensure the best candidate has a shot at winning.
