Under the Fair Representation Act, Mississippi voters would elect all 4 of their representatives statewide using proportional ranked choice voting.
Gerrymandering would be eliminated, every election would be competitive, and Mississippi voters would have far more power than they do today.
With more choices in the general election and proportional outcomes, the Fair Representation Act will create more opportunities for urban Republicans, rural Democrats, independents, women, and people of color.
Improved Partisan Representation
Proportional ranked choice voting elects candidates from each party reflecting the political makeup of that region.
Mississippi’s statewide partisanship is 40% Democrat / 60% Republican. The Fair Representation Act would preserve the Republican majority, but also award a fair seat to Democrats and create a swing district.
Better Racial Representation
The Fair Representation Act typically increases the number of districts where communities of color have the power to elect a candidate of their choice. In a district with 4 representatives, any candidate earning at least 20% of the vote wins a seat, creating the opportunity for more groups to have a seat at the table.
With the Fair Representation Act, Black voters are over the threshold to elect a representative statewide, Black voters have the deciding power to elect at least one candidate of their choice. The “power-to-elect” threshold represents a floor for representation, not a ceiling: candidates of color are most likely to succeed in these districts, but may also be elected in other districts.
An additional seat is a a “coalition seat,” or a seat where no individual racial or ethnic group is over the threshold on its own. These seats provide opportunities for coalition-building candidates.
An End to Gerrymandering
Under the Fair Representation Act, Mississippi would no longer have to draw congressional districts every ten years, avoiding a process that is contentious, time-consuming, and expensive.
More Competitive Elections
Eliminating “winner-take-all” rules will make Mississippi elections more competitive. The state would most likely elect at least one member of both major parties. Even for seats that are considered “safe” for one party, candidates will be competing against other members of their party, creating healthy competition both within parties and between parties.
When elections are competitive, representatives are accountable to voters and have a greater incentive to champion bipartisan policies that have broad support.
A More Expressive Ballot
In proportional ranked choice voting, voters have the option to rank candidates in order of preference: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so forth. Voters are free to express their honest preferences without fear of “spoiler candidates” or “wasted votes”.
Learn more here about how ranked choice in multi-winner districts improves our elections.
