US Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced a bill that calls for radical changes to the way congressional elections are conducted.
It is called the Fair Representation Act, and it would revolutionize not only the way members of the House are elected, but also how congressional districts are drawn.
“Our country is divided along class, political, and ideological lines like never before, and frustration with our current brand of politics is at a tipping point,” Beyer says.
“Less than 20 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is doing its job. A big reason for this is the incredible polarization, the hollowing out of the political center that has taken hold of Congress over the last two decades.” – US Rep. Don Beyer
Beyer says the Fair Representation Act, which he introduced with Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), FairVote‘s Rob Richie and Krist Novoselic, and Lanae Erickson Hatalsky of Third Way, can create a healthier political environment for legislating, give voters more choice, and make every election meaningful to every voter.
The Fair Representation Act would:
- Implement ranked choice voting for primary and general elections;
- Reform electoral districting by using multi-member districts in states with more than one seat;
- Use independent redistricting commissions to draw these districts; and
- Eliminate winner-take-all in congressional elections to ensure all voters get fair representation.
Photo Credit: vepar5 / shutterstock.com