Called to order 7:11 PM.
MEMBERS ATTENDING: Susan Abrams, Steve Blesofsky, Linda Fields, Bill Haberman,
Esther Hopkins, Donna Howland, Ruth Litter, Barbara Magovsky, Stephanie
Mercandetti, Lyn Safian, Norma Shulman, Alan Silver.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS ATTENDING: Robert Edwards, Barbara Gray, Mathew Helman,
Terrene Micciche, Caroline Ray, Parwez Wahid, Nancy Coville Wallace.
OTHERS SIGNED IN: Randy Black, Joan Rastani
MINUTES (Norma Shulman): May 4 minutes approved. Norma suggested a
“buddy-system” to notify non-email members of news and information between
mailings. Steve offered to help by calling the 5-6 members without email when
that is needed.
TREASURER’S REPORT (Bill Haberman):
Approved treasurer’s report.
Cash on hand 5/4/03 $673.12
Deposits (dues) $35.00
Subtotal $708.12
Expenses (meeting room) $30.00
Expenses (postage) $37.00
Cash on hand 9/14/03 $641.12
There are still a few who have not paid dues for last year. The year runs from
September through August, so dues are now payable for 2003-200.
ANNOUNCEMENTS (Steve Blesofsky):
PROGRAM:
DISCLAIMER: These notes of the program are snippets of what
was said. The numbers and other facts are as accurate as I could get while
trying to capture as many of the points as possible. This is not intended as a
transcript – only as an attempt to share the general discussion for those who
missed it.
Speaker: Jim Henderson from the Mass Fair Vote Organization: Instant Run-Off
Voting.
Democracy to him is the rule of the majority. Yet our voting system is a
plurality system, where the candidate with the most votes wins. Instant run-off
voting provides a run off at the same time as the general election. You rank
the candidates in order of your preference. He will show us with a mock IRV
election.
What are the benefits of IRV?
1. One thing in the action agenda of the Convention in Lowell was this is a way
to get more people interested in the election process (they have more choices
available to them).
2. It promotes positive campaigning. Candidates are not only looking for the #1
votes, but also the 2nd and 3rd choices.
3. It addresses the concept of spoiled or splitting votes (for example, the
Nader votes in FL). The democratic nominee for MA Governor got less than 1/3 of
the votes in the primary. And CA might elect a Governor with 25% of the votes.
4. Issue of wasted votes – your vote shouldn’t be considered wasted if you
don’t vote for the major candidates.
There are 3 bills being heard by the elections laws committee this Thursday.
You could call your reps and senator and express your opinion and ask them to
testify. You could also check out the members of the election laws committee
online, and contact them.
2784 – IRV for the 6 MA constitutional offices general election
2785 – IRV in place for the primary
2952 – IRV for Congressional elections
Discussion:
Bill - this might work well for Framingham, too.
How would the optical reader work? Ballot design can handle it.
Alan – parts of Europe does this. Two out of the last three presidential
elections have been decided by 3rd party candidates.
Linda – is it misnamed? Other places called it preferential voting.
Jim demonstrated how this would work with a mock ballot that we used for voting
for the best Red Sox Player. Each round of counting the ballots you eliminate
the lowest vote-getter and distribute his next place votes. You don’t have to
vote for anyone you don’t want to support.
San Francisco has IRV in place for city elections starting in 2004. Cambridge
uses a form of this for City Council. No state uses it yet.
Proportional representation is another form of voting but does not apply to a
single-seat office.
This system allows the third party voices to be heard.
How does the leadership feel about this?
Is there a cost associated with it? We are going to more computer-driven
systems, so then it is a matter of changing the software.
He had pamphlets and website: www.massirv.org - Jim@massirv.org
Adjourned at 8:56 PM.