The Fair Representation Act would transform Washington’s congressional map from 10 single-winner districts into 2 multi-winner districts. Voters would elect representatives using proportional ranked choice voting.
Gerrymandering would be nearly eliminated, every election would be competitive, and Washington 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.
Washington’s statewide partisanship is 57% Democrat / 43% Republican. The Fair Representation Act would preserve the Democratic majority, but also award a fair number of seats to Republicans and create an additional swing seat.
Better Racial Representation
The Fair Representation Act increases the number of districts where communities of color have the power to elect a candidate of their choice.
In each district with 5 representatives, any candidate earning at least 17% of the vote wins a seat. This threshold creates the opportunity for more groups to have a seat at the table, compared to single-winner districts where candidates need a majority or near-majority to win a seat.
With the Fair Representation Act, each district includes 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. Compare this to the single-winner districts in Washington, where White voters make up a majority and have sole power to elect in every district.
An End to Gerrymandering
Under the Fair Representation Act, the ability to gerrymander for partisan advantage would be drastically reduced. With fewer lines to draw and proportional representation in every district, the redistricting process becomes more fair and the possibility for gerrymandering is nearly eliminated.
More Competitive Elections
With larger geographic districts, it is harder to draw districts in ways that pack partisans together. What’s more, the Fair Representation Act’s criteria for district-drawing encourages fair partisan representation.
Eliminating “winner-take-all” rules will encourage both Republicans and Democrats to compete for votes in every district. Every multi-winner district in Washington would be likely to elect at least one member of each major party.
Even in districts where one or more seats are considered “safe” for one party, candidates from that party will be competing against other members of their party, creating healthy competition both within and between parties.
When elections are competitive, representatives are accountable to voters and have a greater incentive to champion 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.
