Making Participation Powerful

In collaboration with the R Street Institute and the Institute for Responsive Government, we detail the security and integrity protections that make American elections strong, resilient, and trustworthy in every jurisdiction.

This paper analyzes the financial realities of moving U.S. state legislative elections to a proportional representation (PR) system — specifically, an "open list" system with larger, multi-member districts.

Colorado in recent years has emerged as a true leader in improving its legislature as a professionalized, accommodating workplace that works for candidates from many walks of life. Former legislative leadership notes that these policies have worked best as a package to create an “ecosystem” that can attract and retain leaders with the best ideas, no matter their circumstances.

Proportional representation would not only enhance democratic fairness but also encourage higher voter turnout and facilitate cross-party coalitions.

As a follow up to our latest report on ranked choice voting, this report discusses what voting rights advocates should assess in pending top-four RCV reforms to determine if those measures have the potential to undermine voting strength for communities of color.