Nuts & Bolts

The mechanics of how electoral systems work, and how other components of our democracy work (or don't work). Electoral systems are the OS of representative democracy.

California, Arizona, and Nevada have shifted to even-year elections, boosting turnout and saving money—with lessons for other states.
Democracy is like a puzzle: you have to fit all the pieces together to see the Big Picture
3
The basic architecture of US democracy bedevils voters, candidates and political parties alike
Condorcet advocates use the wrong standard for evaluating Ranked Choice Voting elections
20
The architecture of “winner take all” elections magnifies the pernicious effects of privately financed campaigns
3
What’s this? The same votes cast through different electoral systems can elect completely different representatives?
5
While contextually an improvement over plurality elections, approval voting has downsides compared to ranked choice voting
4
See all