Reform is coming—the question is what kind.
If we keep winner-take-all rules, we’ll reproduce the same dysfunction. If we change how votes translate into seats, we can build a more representative democracy.
Read more: www.vox.com/politics/480...

Join MED's Colin Cole and Heather Villanueva for a #AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit about everything from election reform to political extremism to how we build a better democracy.

www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comme...

This isn’t just about one map, it’s about a system where representation swings with partisan control.
Winner-take-all rules make fairness fragile. Proportional systems would make it durable.

Read more about the Virginia Debate: www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Even awarding the Heisman uses ranked choice voting 🏆

If it can work to pick college football’s top player, it can work for Indiana voters too — giving people more say and making sure elections reflect the choice of the majority.

Learn more: indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/02/02/r...

From a learning tour in Germany to Portland’s historic shift to proportional representation, we hear what reformers learned—and what it could mean for the future of U.S. democracy.

Is Portland a glimpse of what’s next?

Listen to episode 6 at play.megaphone.fm/o0uhsazbrk2j...

🎙️ Season 2 Finale is here.

We close the season back in the U.S. with reflections from participants and a look at Portland, Oregon’s groundbreaking 2024 election. Is Portland a glimpse into the future of our former democracy?

🎧 Listen to episode 6 now: play.megaphone.fm/o0uhsazbrk2j...

In winner-take-all elections, millions of votes effectively don’t count.

Proportional representation offers a better way — where voters get a fair share of seats and more real choices.

Check out this quick explainer from @sightline.org breaks it down:

bit.ly/4sr86Tg

Another Success for Portland's New Form of Government Portland Oregon's new form of city government can claim another success after the City Administrator announced the discovery of $106M in unspent housing funds.

ICYMI: Portland’s new electoral system is already delivering results.

Thanks to multi-member districts and ranked choice voting, the city now has a council that better reflects its voters.

More on what’s working:
rankthevote.us/another-succ...

Thank you, Portland! 🎬✨

We were proud to premiere American Troubles: A Tale of Two Democracies—an exploration of a big question: what if the dysfunction in American democracy is rooted in how we vote?

Missed out in Portland? Full documentary available on YouTube now, link in bio.

Lani Guinier

"In a racially divided society, majority rule is not a reliable instrument of democracy. When the majority votes as a bloc, it can consistently defeat minority-preferred candidates and deny minority communities a meaningful voice." - Lani

This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating democracy reformers who dared to rethink the rules.

Lani Guinier asked: what if our elections gave every community a fair chance to elect representatives of their choice?

Her work helped reimagine what a truly representative democracy could look like.

In Episode 2 of the Future of our Former Democracy, Colin and Heather dive into the rise and fall of Germany’s first democracy.

Listen to the episode: www.equitabledemocracy.org/the-future-o...

TOMORROW: we’re back with a brand new season of our award-winning podcast, The Future of Our Former Democracy!

In this season, we dive into what post-WWII Germany did to stop extremism in their country — and what that means for the U.S. today. Tune in tomorrow!

play.megaphone.fm/jje8qgvlr3ih...

The Nation’s Most Democratic State Might Elect a Trump-Friendly Governor - The American Prospect California’s nonpartisan primary pits eight Democrats against two Republicans; only the top two finishers advance. Do the math.

There are undemocratic electoral systems… and then there’s this: a top-two “jungle primary” that could knock Democrats off the ballot in the country’s most Democratic state.

It’s exactly the opposite of true proportional representation. prospect.org/2026/02/09/c...

American Troubles: A Tale of Two Democracies A gripping documentary that journeys from the streets of Belfast to the ballots of Portland, tracing the roots of political division and the promise of healing. By exploring how proportional representation helped end decades of conflict in Northern Ireland — and how it’s reshaping local politics in parts of the U.S.— this film reveals a powerful path forward for American democracy. Can the key to fixing our broken politics be found in the lessons of another divided nation? Join us for a provocative look at the systems that divide—and those that unite.

📆 Save the date for the premiere of “American Troubles: A Tale of Two Democracies” on 3/17! Can the key to fixing our broken politics be found in the lessons of another divided nation? Join us for a provocative look at the systems that divide—and those that unite. www.youtube.com/watch

🎙️ Season 2 trailer of our award-winning podcast just dropped!

In 'The Future of our Former Democracy’, we examine far-right movements in modern Germany and the U.S. to explore what lessons this history might mean for American democracy.

Listen: play.megaphone.fm/jje8qgvlr3ih...

Attempts to restrict access to the ballot box are undemocratic and un-American. We need a president who will fight to uphold and better our democracy, not add barriers to the ballot box.

#PresidentsDay

As Gen-Z Abandons Labour and the Tories, Should Electoral Reform Be Back On The Agenda? The political climate in the UK has found itself in a period of turmoil. Traditional political coalitions are fracturing under the weight of deepening polarisation, falling living standards and general dissatisfaction with the way things are.

We’re seeing it everywhere: young people are fed up with voting systems that don’t represent them. In the UK, many Gen Z voters are leaving Labour & the Tories because First‑Past‑the‑Post shuts them out.

Electoral reform is essential.
www.trillmag.com/news/politic...

Ted Cruz is outraged that 47% of Virginia voters get 9% of the seats and calls it “an insult to democracy.”

Buddy, wait till you hear about proportional representation — where 47% actually gets you…~47%! Wild concept.

Mid-cycle redistricting. Attacks on voting access. Undermining election legitimacy. This isn’t normal politics — it’s an assault on democracy.

And it’s and exactly why we need real reforms that put voters, not politicians, back in charge.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

When our democracy does not allow every voice to be heard or person to be represented, we get a government that does not speak for the people. Skyrocketing prices are a sign that something needs to change.

Some interesting analysis from Expand Democracy data shows those fighting for democracy reform aren’t chasing quick wins — they’re focused on lasting, structural change that brings REAL representation to our democracy.

Learn more: thefulcrum.us/democracy/de...

Democracy is not intended to exist solely in written form. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. urged us to transform words into action, promises into measurable progress, and participation into genuine power. The responsibility to continue this work remains with us.

From everyone at the MED team, we wish you a merry holiday season! ❄️

We’re not obsessed with ourselves… we’re obsessed with fixing our democracy🤠

Check out our award-winning show wherever you get your podcasts!

open.spotify.com/show/4RLnsgs...

This holiday season, we are thankful for our community that continues the fight for an equitable democracy from local to national levels. The fight continues, as does our gratitude.

Greenbelt, MD voters approve ranked choice voting - FairVote On Tuesday, Greenbelt, Maryland residents voted to use ranked choice voting in local elections. It is now up to the City Council to act.

There was a lot of news on Tuesday — but did you catch that voters in Greenbelt, MD, overwhelmingly approved ranked-choice voting for local elections?

Shout out to friends of MED, @rcvmd.org, for leading this effort.

Way to go, Greenbelt! 👏

Read more: fairvote.org/greenbelt-md...

Democracy only works when it works for all of us.

As we head to the polls today, let’s remember: the fight for fair, inclusive representation doesn’t stop here.

We’re proud to keep building a more equitable democracy, together.

New Publication on Expanding Representation in Congress A new publication, which emerged from the Academy's Our Common Purpose work, proposes alternatives to the “winner-take-all” system used in most U.S. elections. The proposed alternatives have the potential to reduce partisan divides and virtually eliminate gerrymandering.

We say it all the time: our winner-take-all system shuts out millions of voices and needs to change.

A new report shows how multi-member districts and proportional rules could make Congress actually reflect our communities ⬇️ www.amacad.org/news/publica...

Thank you to all who voted! We are thrilled to take home TWO Signal Awards!

🥇Individual Episodes: History
🥈Individual Episodes: Activism, Public Service, & Social Impact

Stream The Future of our Former Democracy wherever you get your podcasts.

How do we end gerrymandering? No surprise, the most common response to the NYT’s mailbag was “proportional representation!”

As the Times writes, PR “would make gerrymandering irrelevant” — and it would do a whole lot more to improve our democracy. Check it out in the @nytimes.com