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FERNDALE DEMOCRATS LATEST TO ENDORSE PROPOSAL B, INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact by phone: Howard Ditkoff at 248-968-9995
Or
Stacie Trescott at 248-336-9241
Contact by email: contact@firv.org
Website: http://www.firv.org
FERNDALE DEMOCRATS LATEST TO ENDORSE PROPOSAL B, INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING
Ferndale, MI – October 17, 2004 – The Ferndale Democratic Party, with a unanimous vote last week, endorsed Proposal B on Ferndale's November 2 local ballot. The proposal gives voters the opportunity to amend Ferndale's city charter to provide for election of the mayor and City Council through the use of an Instant Runoff Voting system pending the availability and purchase of compatible software and approval of the equipment by the Ferndale Election Commission.
The measure is also endorsed by Ferndale Mayor Robert Porter, Councilpeople Helen Marie Weber, Scott Galloway, and Craig Covey, The Oakland Press, journalist Jack Lessenberry and groups such as the Alliance for Democracy of Metro Detroit, Michigan Election Reform Coalition, Triangle Foundation and Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM). The Michigan Green Party and Michigan Libertarian Party have also endorsed the measure.
National supporters of Instant Runoff Voting include major media outlets such as USA Today, as well as prominent leaders from all political parties:
- "And I would have instant run-off voting, so, when you had more candidates than just two, the person with a majority of votes would win. Now, that's what I would like to do." - Statement from former Governor Howard Dean, Democratic candidate for President
- "I also support 'Instant Runoff Voting.' IRV offers a cost-effective way of insuring that the winning candidate is preferred by a majority of voters; it encourages voters to vote their wishes and not their fears; it promotes greater voter turnout and positive campaigning." - Statement from Democratic candidate for President, Congressman Dennis Kucinich.
- "The Republican Party of Utah believes in majority rule. That's why we adopted instant runoff voting for party elections and U.S. Congressional nominations. We are also looking to adopt IRV for state elections.” - Statement of Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff
- "As a presidential candidate and as a senator, I've worked hard to open up the political process for all Americans. Ballot Measure 1 will adopt a fairer voting method called instant runoff voting that will lead to good government because Alaska will elect leaders who have the support of a majority of voters." - Republican Senator John McCain endorsing Alaska's recent Instant Runoff Voting measure.
- "We believe in MAJORITY RULE. Accordingly, we call for the use of INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING in chief executive races (mayor, governor, president, etc.) where voters can rank their favorite candidates (1,2,3, etc.) to guarantee that the winner has majority support and that voters aren't relegated to choosing between the "lesser of two evils." - Green Party Platform 2000
- "The benefits of IRV are astounding. IRV is a more truly democratic method of voting than our present system because no candidate can be elected without receiving a majority of the vote. IRV eliminates the problem of multiple candidates splitting the vote, throwing elections to less popular 'spoiler' candidates. And IRV would make special runoff elections unnecessary, saving taxpayers time and money while making campaigns less expensive for candidates." - Statement from Juan Ros, Executive Director of the California Libertarian Party.
Interested readers can learn more, endorse, volunteer or donate easily online at: http://www.firv.org
For more information on Instant Runoff Voting, visit http://www.fairvote.org/irv
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