ProRep Coalition Launches New Campaign for Multi-Party Democracy in California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2022
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ProRepCoalition.org
@ProRepCoalition
Oakland, California – Today, the Board of ProRep Coalition announced the launch of their new grassroots campaign for proportional representation in California. Used by most advanced democracies, proportional representation is an electoral system that produces multi-party governments. Amidst a backdrop of rising partisan polarization, with November’s election placing democracy itself on the ballot, these new efforts signal a significant shift in electoral reform advocacy in the state, and the country.
“We need more political parties, it’s that simple,” said Caledon Myers, founder of ProRep Coalition. “Our two-party system has created a culture that rewards partisan conflict and demonization. Complex issues requiring ongoing dialogue and compromise have been reduced to binary, zero-sum politics. California deserves a better democracy. ”
ProRep Coalition has a singular focus: bringing proportional representation to California’s State Legislature. To do so, ProRep is building public support by creating accessible educational content about electoral reform. “PR in California will benefit a diverse range of viewpoints, parties, and advocacy groups that our current system just isn’t representing; that's why our first step is introducing Californians to the very possibility of multi-party democracy through reform,” said Aaron Tiedemann, ProRep Board member, Albany Mayor, and an organizer for Albany’s successful 2020 Proportional Ranked Choice Voting campaign.
In addition to public education, ProRep is bringing together a broad coalition of organizations, political parties, and other entities in California that have been advocating for proportional representation for decades. “No individual, party, or advocacy group is going to successfully champion this reform on their own,” said Myers. “If we want to bring about real change, we need to work together.”
About Proportional Representation
Proportional Representation is an electoral system that awards legislative seats to parties in proportion to the votes they receive. One of the most notable effects of proportional representation is that it produces multi-party governments, representing a wider range of citizen’s political viewpoints. Most of the world’s advanced democracies use some form of Proportional Representation in their federal elections, including but not limited to: New Zealand, Germany, Finland, Spain, Sweden, and Ireland.
https://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/es/esd/esd02/default
About ProRep Coalition
Founded in 2022, ProRep Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to enable a multi-party democracy in California through education and coalition-building for (Pro)portional (Rep)resentation. ProRep brings together Californians who believe a better democracy is possible — one in which all voices are heard. We are building a coalition of political parties, activists, academics, and non-profit organizations to seed a grassroots movement for meaningful electoral reform.
For more information, please visit ProRepCoalition.org.
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