The Saint Paul City Council held a policy session on Instant Runoff Voting on March 28th.

January 6, 2006

On a 7-4 vote, the Minneapolis Charter Commission on Wednesday approved the Better Ballot Campaign's petition language for the Instant Runoff Voting charter amendment proposal. Better Ballot Campaign organizer Jeanne Massey said this means the petition drive will get underway shortly.

The anti-abortion group, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) has circulated a questionnaire to candidates for local office this autumn. Two of the eleven questions are unrelated to pro-life issues. The last question begins with a one-paragraph diatribe against the advanced voting method known as Instant Runoff Voting. The paragraph closes with "For these reasons, MCCL opposes instant run-off voting, and then asks the candidate, "Do you oppose instant run-off voting?" Only a "yes" or "no" answer is allowed. 

Do you have a desire to become a more effective advocate for better
voting methods? Then consider becoming a participant in FairVote Minnesota's
Speakers Bureau.

A training session is scheduled for Saturday, May 7, 2005, at Black
Bear Crossings on the Lake, 1360 North Lexington Parkway, in Saint Paul.
The session will be led by Dag Knudsen, a professional presentations
trainer and FairVote Minnesota supporter. Dag is one of FairVote Minnesota’s
most effective and captivating speakers. Come and learn how he does it.
More information about Dag Knudsen can be found at http://www.dagknudsen.com/index.php.
Attending a training session is a prerequisite for placement on the Speakers
Bureau roster.

From the report:
"Based on the experience of two previous reports, we believed we could predict the results of over 85 percent of the 2004 state house races with at least 85 percent accuracy. We exceeded our own expectations. Our model accurately predicted 90 percent of the seats where there was at least a 3 percent spread between the average party strength of the DFL and Republican candidates."

From the report:
"America's winner-take-all, two-party system together with the development of strongly Democratic or strongly Republican legislative districts over most of our nation and state have resulted in situations in which: a) minority party voters see little point in bothering to go to the polls; and b) elected officials see little point in responding to the concerns of their minority constituents. FairVote Minnesota's latest study, Gridlock! persuasively demonstrates how the current system subverts true democracy and suggests common-sense ways by which the problem can be effectively addressed."

Kiffmeyer's
spending plan lacks detail, accountability

For immediate release
June 18, 2003
Contact: Jim Cousins, (612) 209-1897, jCousins@TripSplit.com

June 17, 2003

The Honorable Mary Kiffmeyer
Secretary of State
180 State Office Building
100 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Saint Paul MN 55155-1206