Wednesday, Mar 11, 2009

TTT MARCH 11: ELECTION REFORMS: More and Better Voting?

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MARCH 11: ELECTION REFORMS: More and Better Voting? Minnesota's protracted US Senate contest has brought into sharp relief both the strengths – and some glaring weaknesses – in the state's electoral process, some of which discourage voter participation. What can we do to both streamline the system and enable maximum voter engagement and confidence? Furthermore, starting with this year's election, Minneapolis will implement an Instant Run-off Voting (Ranked Choice Voting) system that recently survived a court challenge and opened the door to placing a St. Paul version on that city's ballot this Fall. Is a state version more politically viable now – especially after at least three major elections were decided not by a majority of votes, but a plurality? TTT's ANDY DRISCOLL and LYNNELL MICKELSEN talk with advocates, watchdogs and policymakers about reform of election laws and procedures which may well have been designed to depress voter participation rather than encourage it and what makes sense if we truly seek a fully participatory democracy. GUESTS: • JEANNE MASSEY, Executive Director, FairVote Minnesota, prime movers behind IRV/RCV • KEESHA GASKINS, Executive Director, Minnesota League of Women Voters • MIKE DEAN, Executive Director, Minnesota Common Cause COMING APRIL 1: People's Historian HOWARD ZINN Can't get us on the radio? Stream TTT live from KFAI's Home Page

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