FairVote
Professional services
UnclaimedFairVote is a U.S. nonprofit electoral-reform organization that promotes ranked-choice voting, proportional representation, broader voter access, and a national popular vote.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
FairVote is a United States nonprofit organization and advocacy group focused on changing how American elections are conducted and how political representation is allocated. Established in 1992 as Citizens for Proportional Representation, it emerged from the consolidation of several organizations that supported proportional representation. The organization held its first convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, and initially concentrated on proportional voting systems as an alternative to winner-take-all elections. In 1993, the organization changed its name to the Center for Voting and Democracy and moved its operations to Washington, D.C. The new identity reflected a broader agenda that included electoral competitiveness, voting rights, representation, and election-system design. In 2004, it adopted the name FairVote, which became the principal public-facing brand for its research, advocacy, policy work, and election-reform campaigns. FairVote's central reform objective is the wider use of ranked-choice voting. In single-winner contests, it generally supports the instant-runoff form of ranked-choice voting, in which voters rank candidates and lower-performing candidates are eliminated in successive rounds until one candidate achieves a majority of continuing votes. For multi-winner elections, the organization promotes the single transferable vote, a proportional system intended to allow geographically dispersed or politically underrepresented groups to win seats in proportion to their support. FairVote has also supported the Fair Representation Act, a proposal that would use ranked-choice voting for U.S. Senate elections and proportional ranked-choice voting for the U.S. House of Representatives. The organization has worked with state and local reformers on ballot initiatives, legislation, public education, and implementation. Its efforts have been associated with the adoption or authorization of ranked-choice voting in jurisdictions including San Francisco, Minneapolis, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, Santa Fe, New York City, Maine, and Utah communities. In 2016, Maine became the first state to adopt ranked-choice voting statewide. FairVote has also supported the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, under which participating states would direct their electoral votes to the presidential candidate receiving the most votes nationally once states representing a sufficient Electoral College majority join the agreement. Beyond voting methods, FairVote has advocated universal voter registration and a constitutional right to vote. Its research has examined the Electoral College, campaign attention in competitive and noncompetitive states, congressional competitiveness, third-party effects, spoiler candidates, and the relationship between election rules and representation. Reports such as Monopoly Politics and Dubious Democracy have assessed congressional races and the degree to which election outcomes provide meaningful voter choice. Its Representation 2020 project addressed gender disparities in elected office and later became the separate nonprofit RepresentWomen, while remaining aligned with FairVote's broader reform agenda. FairVote has also participated in litigation as an amicus or aligned advocacy organization. Its legal work has addressed vote dilution, proportional and cumulative voting, the California Voting Rights Act, and constitutional challenges to ranked-choice voting. Cases and proceedings discussed in connection with the organization include Sanchez v. City of Modesto, United States v. Village of Port Chester, Minnesota Voters Alliance v. City of Minneapolis, and Jauregi v. City of Palmdale. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, although public descriptions have also characterized it as a lobbying or policy-advocacy group. Its reform proposals are often associated with progressive or liberal electoral-reform networks, particularly because of support for replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote and for expanding proportional representation. FairVote has rejected the characterization that it functions as a partisan Democratic organization and has pointed to support from figures and constituencies outside the Democratic Party. Today, FairVote operates as a research, education, and advocacy organization seeking election systems that it argues produce broader participation, more competitive contests, and more representative outcomes.
History
FairVote began in 1992 as Citizens for Proportional Representation, or CPR, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its creation followed the merger of multiple smaller organizations advocating proportional representation in American elections. The founding group sought to challenge the dominance of winner-take-all election rules, which it viewed as limiting political competition and excluding significant voter groups from representation. The organization's first convention featured Ted Berry, Cincinnati's first African-American mayor. Early personnel included Robert Richie as executive director, Matthew Cossolotto as president, and Steven Hill as western regional director. John Anderson, who chaired the national advisory board, publicly advocated instant-runoff voting for presidential elections in a 1992 New York Times commentary. In 1993, CPR became the Center for Voting and Democracy and moved to Washington, D.C. The change marked an expansion from a narrowly named proportional-representation campaign into a broader democracy-reform institution. It began publishing election research, including the first edition of Dubious Democracy in 1994, examining the competitiveness and representativeness of congressional elections. In 1996, the organization supported a San Francisco ballot campaign for proportional representation. The proposal was defeated, but San Francisco later became an important testing ground for ranked-choice voting. In 2002, San Francisco voters approved a charter change permitting instant-runoff voting in certain city elections. The system was first used for local offices in 2004. FairVote and affiliated state and local organizations subsequently supported ranked-choice voting initiatives or implementation efforts in jurisdictions including Minneapolis, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, Santa Fe, and New York City. The organization also promoted the single transferable vote for multi-member elections, presenting it as a way to provide proportional representation without relying exclusively on geographically drawn single-member districts. The organization adopted the FairVote name in 2004. Under that brand, its work increasingly combined advocacy, technical explanation, election analysis, public communications, and legal participation. Its research programs examined presidential campaign attention, Electoral College incentives, congressional competitiveness, third-party and spoiler effects, and the relationship between votes and representation. Monopoly Politics analyzed congressional races and made race-level predictions, while Dubious Democracy assessed the competitiveness of elections and the distribution of political power. FairVote's presidential research documented the concentration of campaign time and spending in swing states and the comparatively limited attention paid to voters in states considered safe by the major parties. FairVote became a prominent advocate of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The compact is designed to take effect when participating states possess a majority of Electoral College votes and would require those states to award their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the largest national popular vote total across all states and the District of Columbia. The organization also supported universal voter registration and a proposed constitutional right to vote, arguing that democratic participation should be broadly accessible while elections retain procedural integrity. The organization has supported litigation and filed or assisted with amicus briefs involving vote dilution, ranked-choice voting, proportional representation, and remedies under voting-rights law. In Sanchez v. City of Modesto, it supported the constitutionality of the California Voting Rights Act and argued that winner-take-all at-large systems can dilute minority voting strength in jurisdictions with racially polarized voting. In United States v. Village of Port Chester, FairVote-related advocacy supported proportional or alternative voting remedies in a Voting Rights Act dispute involving Hispanic representation; the court ultimately accepted cumulative voting as the remedy, and Port Chester later elected its first Latino trustee. In Minnesota Voters Alliance v. City of Minneapolis, FairVote Minnesota defended the constitutionality of municipal instant-runoff voting, and the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the system. In Jauregi v. City of Palmdale, FairVote sought to participate as an amicus in litigation over alleged minority vote dilution and promoted alternative voting systems, although the court rejected its application to file. State and local adoption continued during the late 2010s and 2020s. Maryland became the first state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in 2007. Utah enacted legislation in 2018 allowing local governments to use ranked-choice voting. New York City adopted ranked-choice voting in 2019 for specified municipal contests. Alaska's 2020 Measure 2 created a top-four primary and ranked-choice general-election structure. Nevada voters approved a statewide constitutional ranked-choice voting measure in 2022, although it required another approval before taking effect. Oregon lawmakers referred a statewide ranked-choice voting proposal to the 2024 ballot. In 2024, several local initiatives supported by FairVote passed, while statewide initiatives in Oregon and Nevada failed. Alaska retained its ranked-choice system. FairVote also developed Representation 2020 to study and promote the election of more women. That project later became the independent nonprofit RepresentWomen, while maintaining an organizational relationship with FairVote. The organization remains headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, and continues to operate as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on electoral-system research, education, litigation support, and policy advocacy. Its agenda is commonly associated with progressive electoral reform, although its representatives have disputed the idea that the organization is a partisan Democratic vehicle.
- 2024
Mixed results for statewide ranked-choice voting initiatives
[1]Local initiatives supported by FairVote pass in several cities, while statewide measures in Oregon and Nevada fail; Alaska retains its system.
- 2022
Nevada approves a statewide ranked-choice voting measure
[1]Voters approve a constitutional amendment requiring another election approval before implementation.
- 2020
Alaska approves a top-four primary system
[1]Measure 2 establishes Alaska's top-four primary and ranked-choice general-election model.
- 2019
New York City adopts ranked-choice voting
[1]New York City approves ranked-choice voting for specified municipal elections.
- 2018
Utah authorizes local ranked-choice voting
[1]Utah passes legislation enabling municipalities to use ranked-choice voting.
- 2017
Fair Representation Act is introduced
[1]Representative Don Beyer introduces the FairVote-backed electoral reform proposal.
- 2016
Maine adopts ranked-choice voting statewide
[1]Maine becomes the first state to adopt ranked-choice voting statewide.
- 2007
Maryland joins the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
[1]Maryland becomes the first state to enact participation in the compact.
- 2004
The FairVote brand is adopted
[1]The Center for Voting and Democracy changes its public name to FairVote.
- 2002
San Francisco voters approve instant-runoff voting
[1]The city approves a charter change allowing instant-runoff voting in certain local elections.
Products and positioning
A nonpartisan-oriented electoral-reform nonprofit positioned around evidence-based advocacy for ranked-choice voting, proportional representation, stronger voting rights, and broader democratic participation. Critics and commentators have sometimes described its agenda as liberal-leaning because of its reform alliances and opposition to the Electoral College, while FairVote presents itself as an institutional reform organization rather than a partisan campaign group.
Policy advocacy
Ranked-choice voting advocacy
FairVote's principal reform program promotes instant-runoff voting for single-winner elections. The organization provides public education, policy analysis, campaign assistance, and legal support for jurisdictions considering ranked ballots. It also supports the single transferable vote for multi-winner contests, where votes can transfer between candidates and produce more proportional outcomes.
Legislative proposal · 2017
Fair Representation Act
The Fair Representation Act is a FairVote-backed federal reform framework. It proposes ranked-choice voting for U.S. Senate elections and proportional ranked-choice voting for elections to the U.S. House, with multi-member districts and the single transferable vote intended to improve representation and electoral competition.
Electoral reform campaign
National Popular Vote Interstate Compact advocacy
FairVote supports an interstate agreement under which participating states would award their Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate receiving the largest national popular vote total. The compact is intended to shift presidential campaigning away from a small number of swing states and toward a nationwide vote.
Election research
Monopoly Politics
Monopoly Politics is a FairVote research program and report series analyzing congressional elections, including race competitiveness and likely outcomes. It forms part of the organization's broader effort to measure whether winner-take-all elections give voters meaningful choices.
Election research · 1994
Dubious Democracy
Dubious Democracy is a FairVote report series examining congressional election competitiveness, the distribution of political power, and the extent to which votes translate into representative outcomes across states and districts.
Representation research
Representation 2020
Representation 2020 was a FairVote project focused on gender representation in elected office and on strategies for increasing the number of women elected. The project later became the separate nonprofit RepresentWomen, which remains aligned with FairVote.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Oregon statewide ranked-choice voting referral
Oregon, United States
The Oregon legislature referred a statewide ranked-choice voting proposal to voters.
Outcome. The statewide initiative failed at the 2024 election.
- 2022Nevada statewide ranked-choice voting campaign
Nevada, United States
FairVote supported efforts to establish ranked-choice voting statewide through a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment.
Outcome. Voters approved the measure in 2022, but the amendment required approval in a subsequent election and the initiative ultimately failed in 2024.
- 2020Alaska Measure 2 campaign
Alaska, United States
FairVote's reform agenda aligned with the adoption of a top-four primary and ranked-choice general-election model in Alaska.
Outcome. Measure 2 passed, making Alaska the first state to adopt the top-four primary system.
- 2019New York City ranked-choice voting campaign
New York City, United States
FairVote supported the adoption of ranked-choice voting for designated New York City elections.
Outcome. New York City adopted the system for specified municipal contests.
- 2017Fair Representation Act campaign
United States
FairVote organized advocacy and public discussion around a federal proposal for proportional House elections and ranked-choice Senate elections.
Outcome. The proposal was introduced in Congress; no enactment is established in the supplied material.
- 2016Maine ranked-choice voting campaign
Maine, United States
FairVote and FairVote Maine supported efforts to adopt ranked-choice voting statewide.
Outcome. Maine became the first state to adopt ranked-choice voting statewide.
- 2002San Francisco instant-runoff voting campaign
San Francisco, United States
FairVote supported a charter amendment allowing instant-runoff voting for certain citywide elections.
Outcome. Voters approved the amendment, and the city began using the system in 2004.
- 1996San Francisco proportional-representation ballot initiative
San Francisco, United States
FairVote's predecessor sponsored a ballot initiative seeking proportional representation in San Francisco elections.
Outcome. The measure failed, receiving 46 percent of the vote.
Brand decisions
2017
Promote the Fair Representation ActStrategyBackground
FairVote sought to move proportional representation and ranked-choice voting from local experiments into federal election law.
Action taken
The organization promoted a proposal combining multi-member House districts and single transferable voting with instant-runoff voting for Senate elections.
Aftermath
Representative Don Beyer introduced the proposal at a FairVote-organized event; the supplied material does not establish enactment.
2016
Support statewide ranked-choice voting in MaineProduct launchBackground
Maine reformers sought to replace or supplement conventional plurality election rules.
Action taken
FairVote and FairVote Maine supported the statewide ranked-choice voting effort.
Aftermath
Maine became the first state to adopt ranked-choice voting statewide.
2004
Rebrand as FairVoteStrategyBackground
The Center for Voting and Democracy had expanded beyond its original proportional-representation identity into a broader electoral-reform agenda.
Action taken
The organization adopted FairVote as its public name.
Aftermath
The FairVote brand became associated with ranked-choice voting, proportional representation, voting rights, and election research.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/fairvote · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled