Learning from the Portland, Oregon Charter Review Process, Kit Muehlman
Saturday, December 14, 2024, 11 am to 12:30 pm, Bellingham Central Library, 210 Central Avenue, Bellingham, WA, 98225
What if we could reverse the trend to more polarization with voting methods that gave more people a voice? Many analysts point to our winner-take-all voting methods as fertile ground for divisiveness. As we saw in the movie, "Lynden," polarization leads to fear and the risk of violence.
This program proposes a shift to a proportional voting method for Whatcom County. Portland, Oregon tried a proportional voting method in November of 2024 that aims to give all Portlanders a voice in the City Council. Robin Ye of the Portland Charter Review Commission will talk about why Portland changed their voting method, and how it worked.
The program will feature demonstration elections called "What's for Breakfast?". How will we choose a breakfast menu that will satisfy almost everyone, instead of choosing to satisfy 51%?
This event is for elected leaders, policy makers, Whatcom County stakeholders and any interested person to take an analytical deep dive into our electoral system. Your vote will count towards our virtual breakfast menu.
